By Benson Daniel
Disabled people in England are facing barriers to travelling abroad because some NHS care boards and local councils refuse to allow publicly funded care packages to continue while they are overseas.
Campaigners say the inconsistent approach has created a postcode lottery in which a disabled person’s ability to travel with the assistance they require can depend largely on where they live and how local officials interpret the rules.
The issue affects people whose daily lives depend on personal assistants for essential support such as dressing, moving around, personal care and assistance during the night.
For many, travelling abroad is not simply a holiday choice. It can involve attending international conferences, carrying out professional responsibilities, visiting family or taking part in activities that contribute to their independence and quality of life.
Lucy Robinson, a 38 year old quadriplegic and president of the European Spinal Cord Injury Federation, said restrictions on her care funding had prevented her from attending international work events and taking holidays.
She said travelling was an important part of both her professional life and personal identity, adding that her quality of life depended on being able to live rather than merely exist.
Robinson’s case illustrates the uncertainty facing disabled people seeking to take their care arrangements overseas.
She was told by the Thames Valley NHS integrated care board that her request for care support during a conference in Germany had been rejected because NHS funding responsibilities supposedly ended at the UK’s border.
The decision forced her to abandon planned work trips to Norway and Albania. She was eventually able to travel to Germany after her elderly mother stepped in to provide round the clock care.
The position changed after Robinson threatened legal action, with the health board subsequently agreeing to fund her care overseas on certain conditions.
Campaigners say cases like this demonstrate why national guidance is urgently needed.
They argue that disabled people should not have to threaten legal action before being allowed to use care support that has already been assessed as necessary.
There is also an important financial argument.
In many cases, disabled people are willing to pay the travel costs of their personal assistants themselves, including accommodation, transport and insurance. The care authority is therefore not necessarily facing an additional financial burden simply because the person temporarily travels overseas.
Carol Barraclough of the Spinal Injuries Association said refusing to fund care abroad does not necessarily produce savings for taxpayers and called for clear national rules establishing the rights of disabled people to travel with their carers.
The legal position also appears more complicated than a simple rule that publicly funded care must stop at the border.
Legal experts have argued that NHS bodies have a continuing responsibility to meet a person’s assessed needs when that individual remains resident in their area but temporarily travels abroad.
Local authorities may have similar obligations under social care law, although the practical decisions can vary considerably.
Another case involves Chelsea Pettitt, a 25 year old woman with cerebral palsy, quadriplegia and learning difficulties.
Pettitt travelled to Spain with two care assistants in 2022 and enjoyed the experience. Her family says she wants to return, but they have faced difficulties securing approval for her care package to be used during another overseas trip.
The dispute highlights a wider problem in the social care system: disabled people may have funding for care but still lack control over where and how that support can be used.
Advocates say such restrictions can limit independence and reinforce outdated assumptions that disabled people should be satisfied with opportunities close to home.
The government has said integrated care boards are responsible for arranging care packages that meet individual needs and expects them to comply with national policy and legislation.
But without a consistent national framework specifically addressing overseas travel, campaigners fear similar disputes will continue.
For disabled people who rely on personal assistance, the ability to travel can mean far more than getting on a plane. It can determine whether they can work, maintain relationships, experience different places and participate in society on equal terms.
The growing calls for national guidance are therefore not simply about funding holidays. They are about whether disability support should enable people to make meaningful choices about their lives, wherever those choices temporarily take them.
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