The guidelines determining the eligibility for receipt of a domiciliary care allowance are covered in Circular No. 24/73. When a child is assessed for eligibility, the medical officer decides if the condition is likely to change at some later date and hence the medical officer will arrange for a medical review.
If the condition is considered permanent then a review may be carried out at periodic intervals based on the child's needs and specific circumstances. These reviews are not carried out simply to determine the permanency of a recipient's condition but also to ensure that the services available and the care plan in place meet, to the extent possible, the needs of the recipient on an ongoing basis and to ensure that the child continues to reside at home. These issues can affect entitlement to the allowance.
Reviews are also necessary for the purposes of the health board's financial accountability. Where such reviews are carried out, the cost is included in the overall cost of the health board's community care programme and it is not possible to isolate the medical cost of the review.
Health boards are requested to carry out all reviews in a sensitive manner to minimise any distress to the recipients or their carers. However, if the Deputy is aware of a specific case requiring attention she should supply me with the details and I will arrange to have the matter investigated further.
