Simon Shaw, 54, has received 24-hour care since being paralyzed in the neck and down after a car accident in 1984. He relies on caregivers at night to help him with everything from going to bed to drinking water. They also seek medical help if he or she develops life-threatening complications related to paralysis, which could occur at any time without warning. But a recent NHS review found it controversial that Shaw’s health needs were not serious enough to justify full-time medical care. Local health officials told him he did not meet the eligibility criteria and that his NHS funding would be cut off from June 20. Shaw, from Clapham in south London, said this meant there was no money for his night care and that he would be left without support from 8pm to 8am for the first time in almost four decades. “It’s scary, to be honest,” Shaw said. “I do not know what I will do when they take care of me. “I do not cease to exist after 8 pm. I still have to go to bed, drink water and use the toilet – and there is nothing I can do on my own. “There are many things that can go wrong with my health and when they do, they usually need urgent attention. “If no one is there, to be honest; it could mean death.” Shaw, who gives talks at schools, churches and youth clubs, is married with two grown children. His family is unable to provide the medical care he needs and his wife is often absent all night caring for her ailing elderly mother in Yorkshire. Under an agreement that had existed for many years, Shaw’s 24-hour care costs were shared 60/40 between his local authority, the Lambeth Council, and his local health authority, the South East London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The health authority’s share, which largely covered overnight care, was provided under the NHS Continuing Health Care (CHC) program – funding for people whose serious health conditions mean they need medical attention. care at home or in a care home. Unlike social care, which is provided by local councils and is resource-based, CHC is awarded to anyone who meets strict criteria that they need medical care. NHS England committed in 2016 that it would reduce its annual CHC spending by. 855 million annually by 2020-21, largely by reducing administrative costs. However, data reported in 2019 revealed that more than 7,000 patients receiving CHC had had their funding withdrawn since the cost-saving measures were announced. The latest official NHS figures show that only 22% of patients who applied for CHC funding in early 2022 received it – the lowest rate since records began. Shaw’s local council and the Spinal Injuries Association, which supports him, believed his health needs were so serious that his care should be fully funded by the NHS and called for a reassessment, which took place in December 2021. Five months later, the CCG in south-east London sent Shaw a letter – which the Observer saw – stating that he was not eligible for any additional funding and that his current funding would be deducted. In an accompanying email, CCG stated:[Y]do not meet the CHC eligibility criteria. The CCG will stop funding on June 20, 2022, four weeks from today. “ Shaw has appealed, but it may take months for the CCG to reconsider its case. Funding is usually not provided to patients waiting to file a complaint. Mandy Jamieson, head of the Spinal Cord Injury Association, said: “We have seen an increase in patients with severe disabilities who have been turned down for funding in recent years, especially after the introduction of pandemic video calling ratings. “But I especially feel in Simon’s case that the decision was wrong. “He has so many health needs that it seems unbelievable to me that he was rejected.” After the Observer contacted the CCG in south-east London, he contacted Shaw again, claiming that he never intended to withdraw funding for his treatment while awaiting his appeal and apologizing that this “was not made clear”. A spokesman said: “The CCG will continue to provide financial contributions to Mr Shaw’s care and support package, with no cuts in funding or package. “We contacted Mr Shaw to inform him and apologize if this was not clearly communicated by the CCG.” An NHS England spokesman said the eligibility for NHS CHC funding was “determined on an individual basis”. The Lambeth Council did not comment.