PERSONAL HEALTH BUDGETS
What is a personal health budget?
A personal health budget (PHB) is an amount of money from the NHS to support a person’s agreed health and wellbeing needs. The budget is planned and spent in partnership with the person, their representatives and the local NHS team.
ILBP provides managed and third party account services that help turn PHB plans into safe, accountable spending on the support that matters most to the individual.
Request a Call Back
A different way to plan and pay for NHS care
Personal health budgets give people more control over how their health and wellbeing needs are met. Instead of services being arranged solely by the NHS, a budget is agreed and used to put in place a personalised mix of support.
Person centred
Budgets are based on what matters to the person, not just the services that already exist locally.
Flexible
Funds can be used for a range of agreed support, from home care and PAs to equipment and therapies.
Accountable
Every pound must be linked back to the care plan, with clear records for reviews and audits.
Key elements of a personal health budget
Although each PHB is unique, there are common building blocks that make sure budgets are fair, safe and sustainable.
A written care and support plan, setting out outcomes, risks and what the budget will fund.
An agreed budget amount, based on assessed needs and local policies.
A clear decision about how the money will be managed: by the person, a representative, the NHS, or a third party like ILBP.
Regular reviews to check the budget is still appropriate and delivering the right outcomes.
How ILBP supports personal health budgets
ILBP provides specialist managed and third party account services for PHBs. Our role is to make sure funds are held securely, invoices and wages are paid correctly, and spending can be tracked back to the plan.
Setting up separate accounts so PHB funds are clearly ring fenced.
Paying providers, personal assistants and other agreed costs on time.
Maintaining records that link each transaction to the care plan.
Providing summaries for ICBs, NHS teams and local authorities to support reviews and audits.
Offering a named contact for families, providers and professionals when questions arise.
Who we support with PHBs
Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and NHS PHB teams commissioning managed accounts.
Local authority partners where health and social care budgets overlap.
Families and unpaid carers who need practical help with the finance side.
Providers and personal assistants paid through PHB funds.
Case studies
Examples of how personal health budgets, supported by managed accounts, can improve stability and outcomes.
No published case studies in this category yet.