Personal health budgets

What is a personal health budget?

A personal health budget (PHB) is an amount of money to support someone’s health and wellbeing needs. One-off personal health budgets for mental health are designed to support people to achieve specific goals or outcomes enabling supported self-management and mental health recovery following hospital discharge.

What can the personal health budget be used for? 

Personal health budgets for mental health can include a range of things to give people access to care, support and services that are holistic, innovative and build on their strengths. Examples include:

1. Physical activities and equipment to help people manage voices, distract from paranoid thoughts, help with self-regulation and manage angry outbursts whilst also helping to develop friendships, build confidence and concentration.
2. Technology that helps people develop self-management skills in a variety of settings, builds confidence and supports independence, such as sensory needs equipment.
3. Digital equipment to sustain contact with friends/family, access relevant health management apps, online support and appropriate help. Digital equipment can also aid emotional regulation, self-management, the development of social interactions and prevent escalation into crisis services.
4. Music/art sessions that support expression and creativity, provide distraction from symptoms, help engagement with new environments and building of relationships.
5. Support with access to training and education opportunities including essential equipment needed to support these opportunities, to build self-confidence, learn to manage anxiety and identify further education or employment opportunities.

More information around what a PHB can be used for can be found in our patient/carer booklet or on our inpatient posters.

Who is eligible for a personal health budget?

A personal health budget for mental health can be used by people who:

• Are currently an inpatient at Lynfield Mount Hospital, Airedale Centre for Mental Health or in an ‘out of area’ bed but normally reside in Bradford District or Craven
• Are currently accessing support from secondary care mental health services from Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, have a multi-agency care plan (three or more services involved) and at risk of being admitted or severely becoming unwell.

The personal health budget is not means tested therefore providing you are under the above services, you will be eligible to make an application – please speak to a member of staff for a form.

To find out more about our personal health budgets service, please contact personalhealthbudgets@bdct.nhs.uk. 

Personal health budget pilot

Anyone who wants to know more about the background to the PHB pilot, visit Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership website