Disabled people face travel barriers due to NHS care funding refusals

Disabled individuals in England are facing difficulties traveling abroad due to NHS care boards and local councils refusing to allow care funding to be used outside the UK. Campaigners have described the situation as a “postcode lottery,” where the ability to travel depends on a person's location or the decisions of local officials, even when the individual covers all travel-related expenses.

Some users report being forced to cancel plans at the last minute or go years without a break. In some instances, requests for overseas care support were only approved after the threat of legal action. One individual, Lucy Robinson, a quadriplegic and president of the European Spinal Cord Injury Federation, reported being prevented from attending international work events and holidays due to refusals from officials in Oxfordshire.

The lack of consistent national guidance has led to calls for clearer rules regarding the right of disabled people to take their personal assistants abroad. Advocates emphasize that these requests do not impose extra costs on the taxpayer or the health service.