New personal health budget sites launched

NHS England has rolled out seven new sites to help people who use mental health services to have personal health budgets. The sites will be staffed by demonstrators who can show how personal budgets can improve quality of life and follow on from a pilot programme, which was based at 20 other locations around the country.

The seven sites have all been tasked with rolling out personal health budgets at scale over the next 18 months. Another six sites, which want to use personal health budgets as an option, will also be set up.

'We want everyone to have better care that is built around their individual needs,' said care minister, Norman Lamb. 'Personal health budgets are part of our drive to give people who need the most help more choice and control over their care and support.'

NHS England's director for patients with long-term conditions, Martin McShane, said: 'Recent research has now shown that people with mental health conditions can gain substantial benefits from having a personal health budget because they introduce choice and control into their care.'