NHS funding cut made gran’s death ‘cruel’
A woman whose 98-year-old grandmother repeatedly fell out of bed after the NHS pulled funding for her home care has said her death was “more brutal than it should have been”.
Pearl Henderson, from Bradford, who had advanced dementia, died on November 19, a week after her sixth fall in four months.
Her granddaughter, Kirstie Lumley, said Ms Henderson was “disappointed” after NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) was stopped after a review found her needs were no longer primarily health-related.
The NHS and Bradford Council said they were “saddened” by his death but wanted to reassure residents that those eligible for care were being cared for in a way that met their “individual needs”.
In June 2023, Ms Henderson’s family were told she needed end-of-life care when she was discharged from hospital following a urinary tract infection.
At the time, he was quickly recruited to CHC, which provides rapid access to funding for patients whose condition is “rapidly deteriorating” and entering the “end phase” of life.
But following a review of the case this summer, Ms Henderson’s family were told the funding would be withdrawn on August 1 because there was no longer an “essential health need”.
Miss Henderson’s care was subsequently taken over by Bradford Council, which provided her with approximately a quarter of the contact hours she had previously received.
He was receiving 86 hours of NHS-funded care a week, with an extra 14 hours paid for privately by the family, but when this was withdrawn it was replaced by just over 19 hours of care by the local authority.
More importantly, being bedridden, Ms Henderson now had no one to sit with her throughout the night and instead only had a 30-minute nightly visit for her toilet needs.
His family was also told bed rails could not be added to prevent him from falling because of the risk it poses to people with dementia.
Ms Lumley, from Malton in North Yorkshire, said Ms Henderson had fallen out of bed for the first time within a week of NHS funding being withdrawn.
The 98-year-old man fell out of bed five more times before he died last month.
Ms Lumley said her grandmother was not given “the dignity she deserved at the end of her life”.
“It seems like it fell through the cracks in the network where it was really needed but there was no maintenance,” he said.
“After a really long life, it feels like the end is pretty cruel.”
Ms Henderson’s family said they were stuck in an impossible situation after being told by “a social worker, a CHC nurse assessor and a GP” that she was too frail to be cared for.
However, after the changes in their care, they felt that they did not receive enough support at home.
As a result, the family appealed to the NHS, but the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board found that “the original decision not to grant CHC was appropriate.”
Ms Lumley said her grandmother was “safe when she was looked after”.
“As soon as that was withdrawn, he was no longer emotionally or physically safe, and that wasn’t supposed to happen,” he said.
“After all, officials were aware of the continuing declines and nothing changed.”
The decision to withdraw funding in Ms Henderson’s case is currently being reviewed by an independent NHS review.
Philippa Hubbard, director of nursing and quality at Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, and Iain MacBeath, strategic director of adult social care, health and housing at Bradford Council, said in a statement: “We are very sorry to hear that Pearl has sadly passed away and we would like to extend our sincerest condolences to her family and everyone who knew and cared for her.
“Whilst we cannot comment further on individual cases, we would like to reassure residents that the council and the NHS in Bradford are working closely together to ensure that each person eligible for care and support is supported to meet their individual needs.
“This involves intervening if someone’s health changes and working with families to provide the right support.
“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 noted it was up to local integrated care boards to “decide on eligibility.”
A spokesman for the department added that it continues to fund “high-quality research into dementia” through its 10-year plan to ensure people receive the best care.
NHS data shows more than 51,000 people in England were eligible for CHC by the end of June 2025, with around a third qualifying through the fast track.
The charity Dementia UK has called on the government to review the assessment process for CHC through its Fix The Funding campaign.
Dementia UK campaign chair Beth Clayton-Exwell said: “Families tell us they are frustrated, demoralized and disappointed by a system that fails to understand and recognize the needs of people with dementia.
“They don’t want to spend the last weeks and months of their lives with their loved ones and struggle with a difficult and flawed system.”
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