Do any adults with cp pay privately for physio?

niceboots

I generally self manage my treatment, but there are times I feel like I could do with an extra bit of help with stretching, to get it through the NHS, I have to go through my gp and if he agrees, then the referral can take up to 12 weeks. Then I can only have average of 6 sessions, and as the service is so stretched with resources, I don't think I always get the amount of contact time with a physio that I feel I need. This is by no means me complaining about the service I have received, or the physios I have seen, without the services provided by the NHS I certainly wouldn't be as able as I am, most people I meet both as a patient and in my job are fantastic and are as frustrated as I am... 
Does anyone pay for there own physio? How much more of an influence do you have over your treatment do you have? What I'm really looking for is to see a physio once a week/fortnight to get a good stretch out to complement what I do at home and in the gym.

anaqi

Hi!

Have you heard about Personal Health Budgets?  I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hypermobile type) and I've had a similar problem getting physio on the NHS.  I need long term physio but like you I can only have 6 sessions before I am discharged.

I applied to my local CCG for a Personal Health Budget.  Basically if your health care needs cannot me met by existing NHS services you can apply for a budget which allows you to purchase the support you need.  I have just been awarded a PHB for physio.  I haven't had the funding sorted yet but they are giving me enough to have 1 private session every two weeks.

You can read more about it on the NHS Choices website.

niceboots

Brilliant thank you! I shall look into it, I've never heard of personal health budgets (they're not very well advertised-I work for the NHS!) Do you get to choose where you go for physio or is it set out by the ccg? Thanks again 

anaqi

I think it's a relatively new concept.  They were on trial in some areas but I think it's nationwide now.  You get to choose who you see.  It's like a personal budget for care, they pay the money into a dedicated bank account and you get to choose which services you use, but you have to keep receipts and prove that you have spent the money on meeting your assessed needs.

I will warn you it can be a slow process.  I applied in May 2016 and it took six months for the CCG to make a decision.  I got a letter to say I was awarded a PHB from October 2016 but I haven't actually got the money yet.

All the best!

niceboots

Blimey that makes referrals look fast in comparison! I think what I'll do is pay myself for the time being and look into it directly with my ccg as I can find contacts through work... thanks for the warning!

Stayce

Hi @Niceboots - I pay for physio and osteopathy outside my allotted 6 NHS sessions. As without paying I wouldn't be mobile. Why there is no system in place for physio for long term conditions has always baffled me. I have been told by my NHS physios that  patients must be discharged close to 6 sessions as it makes the NHS statistics look bad if it looks like they haven't been able to "cure" all your ills in 6 sessions To pay privately you are looking at anything between €45- €70 per session anything from 30 minutes to an hour. I would begin by asking an NHS physio that you have been happy with in the past as most of them do some level of private work.

Hope that helps 

Best wishes

niceboots

Thanks @Stayce I've never thought of asking an NHS physio.... there's a physio near me that deals with neuro conditions, so am going to approach them in the new year, as I wouldn't know how to get hold of the physio I'd think of approaching about doing some private work, they change so often in my local hospital.