NHS funding cut made gran's death 'cruel' - family

A woman whose 98-year-old grandmother repeatedly fell out of bed after the NHS withdrew funding for her care at home has said her death was "crueller than it needed to be".

Pearl Henderson, from Bradford, who had advanced dementia, died on 19 November, a week after her sixth fall in four months.

Her granddaughter, Kirstie Lumley, said Mrs Henderson had been "let down" after her NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) was stopped when a review found her needs were no longer primarily health-related.

The NHS and Bradford Council said they were "sorry" to hear about her death, but wanted to reassure residents that those eligible for care were looked after in a way that met their "individual needs".

In June 2023, Mrs Henderson's family was told she needed end-of-life care when she was discharged home from hospital following a urinary tract infection.

At the time, she was fast-tracked onto CHC, which provides quick access to funding for patients who have a "rapidly deteriorating condition" and may be entering a "terminal phase" of life.

However, following a review of the case this summer, Mrs Henderson's family was told the funding would be withdrawn on 1 August as she no longer had a "primary health need".

Mrs Henderson's care was subsequently taken over by Bradford Council, which provided about a quarter of the contact hours she had previously received.

While she used to receive 86 hours of NHS-funded care per week, which the family topped up with an extra 14 hours they paid for privately, when that care was withdrawn it was replaced with just over 19 hours of care by the local authority.

Crucially, Mrs Henderson, who was bedbound, no longer had someone to sit with her through the night, and instead only had a 30-minute night visit for toilet needs.

Her family was also told that bed rails could not be added to stop her from falling because they were a risk to people with dementia.

Ms Lumley, from Malton, in North Yorkshire, said that within a week of the NHS funding being withdrawn, Mrs Henderson fell out of bed for the first time.

The 98-year-old subsequently fell out of bed a further five times before her death last month.

Ms Lumley said her grandmother had not been given "the dignity she deserved at the end of her life".

"She seems to have fallen through cracks in a net somewhere, where the care just wasn't there when it was really, really needed," she said.

"It feels like after a really long life, the ending has been quite cruel."

Mrs Henderson's family said they had been stuck in an impossible situation because they had been told by a "social worker, CHC nurse assessor and a GP" that she was too weak to be moved into care.

However, they felt she was also not getting enough support at home after the changes to her care.

As a result, the family lodged an appeal with the NHS, but the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board found "the original decision to not award CHC is appropriate".

Ms Lumley said her grandmother "was safe when she was cared for".

"As soon as that was withdrawn, she was no longer safe emotionally or physically and that shouldn't have happened," she said.

"Ultimately, the authorities were aware of the continuous falls and nothing changed."

The decision to withdraw funding in Mrs Henderson's case is now being examined by an independent NHS review.

In a statement, Philippa Hubbard, director of nursing and quality for Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, and Iain MacBeath, strategic director, adult social care, health & housing for Bradford Council, said: "We are very sorry to hear that Pearl has sadly passed away, and we want to pass on our sincere condolences to her family and everyone who knew and cared for her.

"While we cannot comment further on individual cases, we want to assure residents that the council and the NHS in Bradford work closely together to make sure every person who is eligible for care and support is supported in a way that meets their individual needs.

"This includes responding if someone's health changes and working with families to put the right support in place.

"Our thoughts are with Pearl's family at this difficult time."

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social care said everyone should have access to "high quality, compassionate care", but pointed out that it was up to local integrated care boards to "decide on eligibility".

A spokesperson for the department added that through its 10-year plan, it was continuing to fund "high quality research into dementia" to ensure people received the best care.

NHS data shows that at the end of June 2025, over 51,000 people in England were eligible for CHC, with about a third qualifying via the fast-track route.

The Dementia UK charity has called on the government to review the assessment process for CHC through its Fix The Funding campaign.

Beth Clayton-Exworth, head of campaigns at Dementia UK, said: "Families let us know they are feeling frustrated, demoralised, let down by this system that fails to understand and recognise the needs of people with dementia.

"They want to be spending the last weeks and months of their lives with their loved ones and not battling a difficult and flawed system."

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