| Reference | FOI2026/1905 |
|---|---|
| Description | Children's Continuing Care Personal Health Budgets (Direct Payments) |
| Date Requested | 20/07/2026 |
| Date Replied | 04/08/2026 |
| Category | Continuing Health Care (CHC) |
Please could you provide the following information relating to Children’s Continuing Care Personal Health Budgets (Direct Payments) that your ICB is responsible for.
Responses have been broken down by locality:
1.
| Bolton | The standard hourly rate for Personal Assistants is £13.45 and sometimes goes up to £15.00 depending upon skill and clinical interventions required. |
| Bury | 26/27 rates £13.28 per hour standard and £15.71 per hour complex rate. |
| HMR | £13.45 standard, £14.35 complex |
| Manchester Locality | There are no standard hourly rates used by Manchester locality as the locality commissions care via our community children’s nursing service, ad hoc packages are commissioned based on need with varying hourly rates. |
| Oldham | £13.10 |
| Salford | There are no standard hourly rates used by Salford locality as the locality commissions care via our community children’s nursing service, ad hoc packages are commissioned based on need with varying hourly rates. One PA is paid £15.45 per hour due to being able to communicate via BSL. |
| Stockport | £14.10 |
| Tameside | Agenda for change pay scales (Band 3) are used as the basis for PA hourly rates in Tameside. Where there is a Direct Payment agreement in place with the Local Authority which the NHS will contribute to the LA rate is applied as the hourly rate contributed by Health. |
| Trafford | For GMICB Trafford, for the 2025/2026 financial year fund £16.73 per hour. |
| Wigan | Personal Assistants are paid the real living wage, currently £13.45 per hour which is in line with the Personal Assistants funded by social care. All children’s Direct Payments are joint funded with Social Care and so it’s important the rate is the same. The actual hourly rate though, inclusive of on-costs, is funded at £15.51 per hour. |
2.
| Bolton | An increased rate may be agreed if there is an increase in healthcare delegated tasks such as a ventilated child. An increased rate may be agreed for a Senior Personal Assistant who undertakes additional duties. The rates apply during the day and night and Bank Holiday rates are considered. |
| Bury | Daytime, waking night, sleeping night, weekend. |
| HMR | The rates apply consistently regardless of time/day/public holidays etc |
| Manchester Locality | Based on Q1 this information cannot be provided |
| Oldham | £13.10 applies across, there are no variation in the rate. |
| Salford | The rate applies consistently. |
| Stockport | The same standard hourly rate is paid at all times |
| Tameside | At present the rates, within each PHB, are set and we do not have any different rates for daytime, waking night, weekends or bank holidays. We do not currently have any packages of care with a sleeping night. Where enhanced clinical skills are noted, this will be considered and a discussion will take place at Panel around offering a higher hourly rate within the band 3 rate. |
| Trafford | The rate for GMICB Trafford does not change depending on day or time – flat rate for all hours. |
| Wigan | The same standard hourly rate is paid at all times |
3.
| Bolton | An increased rate may be agreed if there is an increase in healthcare delegated tasks such as a ventilated child. An increased rate may be agreed for a Senior Personal Assistant who undertakes additional duties. The rates apply during the day and night and Bank Holiday rates are considered. |
| Bury | There are a small number of historic direct payment PHBs where the PA hourly rate exceeds the standard rates outlined above. To ensure consistency across all packages, these historic rates no longer receive uplifts and will continue to remain static until they align with one of the approved rates, based on the patient’s assessed healthcare needs. |
| HMR | N/A |
| Manchester Locality | Please refer to Q1. |
| Oldham | N/A |
| Salford | N/A |
| Stockport | N/A |
| Tameside | As outlined above, the standard hourly rates are in line with the Band 3 agenda for change pay scales.
Example – One PHB currently in place, established in 2025, agenda for change pay scale considered (£12.75-£13.60 p/h) – based on clinical needs agreement was £13 p/h. |
| Trafford | N/A |
| Wigan | Not applicable |
