My Friends Had To Subsidise The Cost Of Running My Vital Oxygen Therapy

I americium dependent connected semipermanent oxygen therapy aft a double lung transplant.

I’m entitled to reimbursement of nan excess energy utilized by nan oxygen concentrator and person received quarterly payments of astir £48 from Vivisol, which administers rebates connected behalf of nan NHS.

However, I was forced to enactment pinch friends and family for a twelvemonth aft my location was flooded, and I spent a further 2 months convalescing astatine my daughter’s location aft a bosom operation.

I received nary rebates during that time, and Vivisol told maine l would not beryllium reimbursed while I was not surviving astatine home, which intends my hosts had to subsidise my treatment.

SS, East Sussex

The rebate strategy is intended to protect eligible patients who trust connected an oxygen concentrator from spiralling power costs.

I spot that Vivisol’s website states, successful passing, that patients are eligible for nan costs of utilizing nan instrumentality astatine their main address.

This strikes maine arsenic insufficiently clear, arsenic good arsenic perchance unfair. It’s a no-brainer that those pinch specified superior wellness issues mightiness person to relocate, arsenic you did, for convalescence, for respite attraction aliases building work.

It seems unreasonable to maine to expect friends and family to ft what tin beryllium a sizeable measure for curen and, since concentrators grounds energy depletion connected an integrated metre unconnected to nan family meter, it is straightforward to beryllium capable to show nan costs involved.

I first approached NHS England to inquire if this regularisation was NHS argumentation and whether location were exemptions for cases specified arsenic yours.

It referred maine to nan NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board, which explained that patients tin nominate a impermanent reside arsenic their main residence via their work supplier successful circumstances specified arsenic yours.

In nan meantime, Vivisol responded to my interaction by agreeing to reinstate and backdate your rebates to screen nan play while you were away.

A spokesperson said: “All connection does item that nan eligibility only applies astatine nan patient’s main address. As a consequence of your email, we will reappraisal to place if that tin beryllium made clearer.”

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