‘We crowdfunded to help pay our son’s care costs’

Kate Garraway has spoken of her huge debts from her husband Derek Draper’s care bills. He died from the long-term effects of Covid, in January, but                she has now told an ITV documentary she had been told he wasn’t sick enough for funded care. The family received the maximum £30,000 disabled facilities grant, to make their home accessible to him, but say total costs have spiralled to £86,000. To help meet the shortfall, they raised nearly £20,000 through online fundraising, charity donations and help from relatives.

Jason Mitchell was paralysed from the neck down by a swimming pool accident. For more than 20 years, the NHS funded the 24-hour care he says he needs. But three years ago, a continuing-healthcare assessment stopped this. Now, the council gives him £4,700 every four weeks, on the understanding this will pay for carers costing £175 a day.

But Jason also has to cover their travel, with some coming up from London. Jason used to be a keen Birmingham City Football Club season-ticket holder. But poor health and anxiety over the situation have taken their toll. Social worker suggested he should consider moving into a residential care home.

Now his care has become more expensive. His mother, Ann Walton, says if the situation continues, it will bankrupt her. Garraway told the documentary, which is available on ITVX, that she was well paid as a presenter but her salary had failed to cover the £4,000 a week needed to fund her husband’s treatment. 34;My money doesn’t get replaced as I#38;m not working,’ she said.

Continuing healthcare is free NHS social healthcare given to adults in England and Wales. Of the 38,726 people in England assessed in October-December 2023, just over one in four were found to be ineligible. Department of Health and Social Care official said the number of people eligible for continuing healthcare in England had increased since 2017-18.