The DH has launched a consultation to gather views on how personal health budgets should be rolled out across the country.
Personal health budgets allow patients to have more control over the treatment they receive, for example, allowing people to employ carers directly.
Patients will be able to access the budgets through their local NHS and will have to work with clinicians to decide how the money is best spent to benefit their health. Only people approved as part of the pilot scheme are able to have a direct payment for healthcare.
The consultation will last for eight weeks and will consider who could be entitled to apply for direct payments for their health needs; what services should be excluded; whether there should be an option that means family members or friends can be paid for managing complex or large direct payments; and if local authorities should make direct payments for healthcare.
Launching the consultation, care and support minister, Norman Lamb said: 'We want patients to be fully involved in their care, allowing them to make decisions with their clinicians to improve the quality of their life. Personal Health Budgets help people to think outside the box in terms of treatment and how their health can be improved.
'This is the next step in our programme to roll out these budgets to eligible people. I would encourage everyone to have their say on how this will work.'