Health (SEND)

Health Care services are an important part of the Local Offer. Some services are provided in clinics and some in schools and early years settings.

About NHS Health Services in Buckinghamshire
Search Health Services and Organisations in Buckinghamshire
Additional Health Care Support for those with SEND

People with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may require additional health care support to meet the needs that come from having a disability, accident or illness.

Birth to 18 years

Children and young people who have very complex health needs will receive additional health care support from birth, up until 18 years of age. These health needs may be the result of:

  • congenital conditions

  • long-term or life-limiting conditions

  • disability

  • serious illness or injury

This additional health care support can be provided by GP practices, hospitals or in the community and is called Continuing Care. At the age of 18, a different system starts called NHS Continuing Healthcare.

Continuing Care

For ages: birth to 18 years

Who to contact: GP or Continuing Care Team 

Related information: NHS - Children and young people's services

 

18 years and over

NHS Continuing Healthcare is an ongoing package of health and social care for adult ages 18 and over. It is arranged and funded by the NHS to those who have a primary health need. This care is provided to meet needs that come from having a disability, accident or illness.

To access NHS Continuing Healthcare it is likely that young people will have an assessment of their eligibility. This is because receiving Continuing Care up to 18 does not necessarily mean you will receive NHS Continuing Healthcare after 18. It is important that families are informed and are involved in the assessment and planning.

NHS Continuing Healthcare 

For ages: 18 years and over

Who to contact: Continuing Healthcare Team

Related information: NHS continuing healthcare

Palliative, end of life and hospice care
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

This is a process by which local authorities and NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups assess the current and future health, care and wellbeing needs of the local community to inform local decision making.

JSNAs were introduced by the Department of Health in April 2008 to strengthen joint working between the NHS and local authorities. The JSNA helps to develop our local Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy with the purpose of reducing inequalities and improving the health and wellbeing of the whole community.

Each JSNA chapter will characterise the health and wellbeing status of the local population, identify inequalities, illustrate trends, describe local community views and highlight the key findings.

The JSNA chapters can be found on the Health and Wellbeing website.

Designated Clinical Officer

The Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) has a key role to support joined-up working between health services and local authorities and to implement the Children and Families Act reforms. The DCO should help facilitate the Education Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) process and link with the local health systems.

Read more about the DCO role

Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions
Learning Disability Annual Health Check

People aged 14 and over who have been assessed as having moderate, severe or profound learning disabilities, or people with a mild learning disability who have other complex health needs, are entitled to a free annual health check from their GP.

Adults and young people aged 14 or above with learning disabilities who are known to their local authority social services, and who are registered with a GP who knows their medical history, should be invited by their GP practice to come for an Annual Health Check. If you haven't been invited yet follow this easy read guide to getting your free health check.

Find out more about what to expect from your Annual Health Check.

  

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG’s) are NHS organisations set up by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to organise the delivery of local health services in England. CCG’s are clinically led groups whose membership includes all of the GP Practices in their geographical area.

NHS Aylesbury Vale Clinical Commissioning Group (AVCCG) is a group of GP practices in Princes Risborough, Thame, Aylesbury, Buckingham and across North Buckinghamshire, serving a population of over 200,000. It is the organisation responsible for deciding how around £200m of taxpayers’ money is spent on health care for Buckinghamshire people. The geographic area served by Chiltern CCG covers more than half of the area served by Wycombe District Council and the whole of the areas served by Chiltern District Council and South Bucks District Council. The two CCGs federated their teams of staff in July 2016.

Buckinghamshire has a wide range of services for children with additional needs and places where you can go for help and advice.

Read more about the CCGs:

Complaints
  • If you want to make a complaint about a health service you should contact the local NHS Trust that provided the service and follow their formal complaints process.
Further Information