Almost three in 10 north Cumbria adults with ongoing health needs were denied free NHS care over the summer, figures show.

Adults requiring care and support outside hospital settings can apply for a free package of care known as NHS Continuing Healthcare.

The fully-funded support covers a person's care and residential accommodation, but is only available to those who are determined as having particularly complex or unpredictable needs following an assessment by health professionals.

The NHS have defended this and issued a statement suggesting that it is vital that they support people with very complex needs. They say that the rates we see are what you would expect to see on a national level.

A spokesperson for NHS North Cumbria CCG said: "This isn’t about general NHS healthcare which is free at the point of need for everyone. NHS Continuing Healthcare is for patients with complex needs living outside hospital settings – such as home or residential care.

"To be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, patients are assessed by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals. This includes looking at what help you need, how complex your needs are, how intense your needs can be, and how unpredictable they are - including any risks to your health if the right care isn't provided at the right time.

"It is a complex process with strict guidelines. When people don’t meet the threshold for NHS continuing healthcare we are able to refer individuals to the local authority where they might be eligible for social care or other support."

Age UK argued that due to 'chronic underfunding' the CHC is unable to support older people with chronic health needs. They suggest this is becoming more pronounced in Cumbria.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: "This situation is grossly unfair on older people and their families, especially those with no one to speak up on their behalf.

"They can end up paying enormous care bills which should have been the responsibility of the state.

"The legal battles over this can go on for years, way beyond a person's death, leaving a really a bad taste in the mouth for the families left behind."