MORE than 200 pensioners in the North-East and North Yorkshire have won compensation because they were wrongly denied free long-term care on the NHS.
Figures from the Department for Health show that by July, the region's health authorities had processed the vast majority of claims for compensation and agreed to make payouts to 244 people.
It follows complaints that some patients who should have been eligible for so-called "continuing care" were forced to use their own cash for post-hospital care. In some cases, people had to sell their homes to finance care.
In County Durham and Tees Valley, 96 per cent of the 226 cases had been processed by July and 79 people were deemed to be eligible for payments.
Further south in North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire 96.3 per cent of the 359 applicants were processed and 52 people will receive payments.
On Tyneside, Wearside and Northumberland 73.7 per cent of the 298 cases have been processed with a total of 113 people so far eligible for compensation.
The payouts follow inquiries into the way continuing care is funded.
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