A FUNDING dispute involving Berkshire West’s healthcare service led to an autistic woman from Wokingham self-harming and taking antidepressants.

The woman, who has been anonymised as ‘Miss C’, was settled at an “inappropriate placement” while Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Haringey CCG and New Devon CCG argued about which health authority should fund her care.

A report produced by the Local Government Ombudsman read: “It is likely she could have moved sooner had the CCGs resolved the dispute or one CCG agreed to act in Miss C’s best interests while resolving the dispute.

“Who Pays guidance says, “the NHS is expected to act in the best interest of the patient at all times and work together in the spirit of partnership”. That did not happen in this case and the CCGs are at fault.

“This is likely to have impacted adversely on her wellbeing and caused her mother, Mrs B, avoidable distress.”

The three CCGs have now been forced to apologise to Miss C and her mother for their role in the dispute, with each being forced to pay £500 to Miss C and a further £150 to her mother.

Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) had funded Miss C’s care when she was school age, and when she reached adulthood in 2014 the council funded her care on placement in Devon.

The social care agency overseeing her care claimed she needed mental health support in addition to her social care provision, but despite the council agreeing to fund the extra care it was not in place by August 2015.

Her placement was terminated due to the lack of mental health support and she was moved to a new placement in North London.

Arguments over funding for Miss C began one month later after Miss C was detained under the mental health act by Haringey CCG, with WBC having agreed to pay for Miss C’s care up until the point she was detained.

She was released from detention in November 2016 and remained as a patient in North London, with all three CCGs unwilling to pay for her aftercare services.

Berkshire West CCG had initially taken a “moral decision” to fund Miss C’s care but the LGO report outlines it later “reneged” on this step, claiming Haringey CCG was responsible for her care.

NHS England intervened in the decision and had indicated that New Devon CCG was responsible for Miss C’s care, but the healthcare provider challenged this decision.

Miss D was eventually discharged from her North London placement in May 2017, half a year after she had been released from her mental health detention.

This came after concerns had been raised by Miss C’s social worker and a council officer who complained about the ongoing dispute.

Eventually, Miss C returned to her original placement in Devon with Berkshire West agreeing to fund her care with Wokingham Borough Council.

The LGO report highlights that under NHS guidance, there should be “no gaps in responsibility” and that treatment should not be refused or delayed because of “uncertainty or ambiguity as to which CCG is responsible for funding an individual’s healthcare provision.”

West Berkshire CCG has been contacted for comment.