A Personal Health Budget (PHB) is an amount of money allocated to support someone’s health and wellbeing needs, which is planned and agreed upon between the individual or their representative, and their local NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB). It isn’t new money, but a different way of spending existing NHS funding to meet the needs of an individual. At the centre of a PHB is the support plan.

A PHB allows you to manage your healthcare and support such as treatments, equipment and personal care, in a way that suits you. It works in a similar way to personal budgets, which allow people to manage and pay for their social care needs.

A PHB will allow an individual to purchase services, support, activities, and some types of equipment to achieve the health and wellbeing outcomes agreed with their local ICB.

There are some restrictions in how the budget can be spent and having a PHB does not entitle someone to more services, more expensive services, or preferential access to NHS services.