The Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Service, Rehabilitation & Placement Panel is commissioned by Wirral & Cheshire West Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG’s).

The panel consists of a team of professionals, highly experienced in ABI. This service caters to an ABI Adult population who have been assessed as requiring: Tier 2, 3, Complex or Slow Stream ABI Rehabilitation.

Examples of an ABI:

  • Hypoxic Brain Injury
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • Tumour
  • Encephalitis
  • Subarachnoid Haemorrhage

When to refer?

  • When the patient is medically stable.
  • When the current commissioned NHS provision cannot meet ongoing rehabilitation need
  • When the aids & equipment required by the patient have been identified.
  • When there are clear ongoing complex rehabilitation goals

How to make a Referral:

A formal referral is to be completed on the standardised documentation, which can be requested from and returned to:

ABI Service Rehabilitation & Placement Panel Acorn Suite, 1829 Building, Countess of Chester Health Park, Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1HJ Tel: 01244 389252 Fax: 01244 389255

What Happens next?

The referral will be reviewed in the ABI Panel normally within 7 days. If the referral reaches the required standard of relevant clinical information then an initial decision regarding funding can be communicated to the referrer at this point.

The panel will request a minimum of two ABI rehabilitation providers to provide an assessment, written report/costings. The Panel will decide on the most suitable placement.

A formal application for funding is completed and in some instances submitted to the appropriate CCG. It is expected that the referrer/discharge coordinator will inform the patient, family or representatives of the outcome of the funding application and liaise with the identified rehabilitation provider unit over transfer arrangements.

Please note that the Case Manager will make contact with the Next of Kin or Carer to offer advice and support early in this process.

Wirral & Cheshire West CCG’s ABI Rehabilitation & Placement Panel

Referral Stage

  • Panel referral paperwork must be completed in full by the referrer.

Panel Meeting

  • Panel convenes on a Tuesday to review referrals.

Initial Review

  • If information received is inadequate:
    • Referral is not accepted at panel.
    • A list of outstanding information is sent back to the referrer.
  • If information received is adequate:
    • Referral is considered for acceptance

Panel Decision

  • If referral is accepted:
    • Panel contacts 2 providers for assessment and Bed availability
    • Panel decides on placemen and sends letter to the referrer.
  • If referral is declined:
    • Decline letter is sent to the referrer.
    • Referrer may initiate the appeals process.

Placement and Review:

Rehabilitation placements are commissioned on a 12 week basis; an initial placement review is held at week 6 then at week10-12 and then every 3 months.

The panel will continue to provide specialist oversight and make further recommendations to the provider, e.g. discharge, Continuing Health Care (CHC), Local Authority Assessment, and ABI Service Community Rehabilitation Service.

What the panel is unable to provide:

    • It cannot commission community packages of care
    • It cannot commission community rehabilitation
    • It cannot commission wheelchairs – a national reciprocal arrangement is in place.
    • It cannot commission funding of communication aids (see ACE, NHS England and local arrangements)

Appeals Process

If you are not happy with the panel’s decision, please contact the ABI panel to discuss your concerns. If this does not address the issues, you will be signposted to the Wirral or Cheshire West CCG individual complaints procedure.

How to find us:

Acquired Brain Injury Service Acorn Suite Countess of Chester Health Park Liverpool Road Chester CH2 1HJ Tel: 01244 389252 Fax: 01244 389255

 

If you would like this information in another format, please speak to a member of CWP staff or e-mail cwp.info@nhs.net.

June 2020 Version 1.
www.cwp.nhs.uk.