NHS Continuing Healthcare
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of care for adults aged 18 or over which is arranged and funded solely by the NHS.
Frequently Asked Questions
To be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, you must be assessed by a team of healthcare professionals (a multidisciplinary team) to determine whether you have a ‘primary health need’.
What will the multidisciplinary team (MDT) be looking for?
- what help you need
- how complex your needs are
- how intense your needs can be
- how unpredictable they are, including any risks to your health if the right care isn’t provided at the right time
Your eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare depends on your assessed needs, and not on any particular diagnosis or condition. If your needs change then your eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare may change.
You will be fully involved in the assessment process and have your views about your needs and support taken into account. Carers and family members can also be consulted where appropriate.
A decision about eligibility for a full assessment for NHS Continuing Healthcare should usually be made within 28 days of an initial assessment or request for a full assessment.
If you aren’t eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, you can be referred to your local council who can discuss with you whether you may be eligible for support from them.
If you still have some health needs then the NHS may pay for part of the package of support. This is sometimes known as a “joint package” of care, or NHS-Funded Nursing Care.
NHS-Funded Nursing Care (FNC) is when the NHS pays for the nursing care component of nursing home fees. The NHS pays a flat rate directly to the care home towards the cost of this nursing care.
You may be eligible if:
- You’re not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare but have been assessed as needing care from a registered nurse
- You live in a nursing home
If you are not eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, you may potentially receive a joint package of health and social care. This is where your care or support package is funded by both the NHS and the local authority.
Personal Health Budgets
Did you know that anyone who is currently eligible, or becomes eligible, for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding now has the right to have their own personal health budget?
The option of a personal health budget provides an opportunity to have more choice and control over how your health and wellbeing needs can best be met. With the help of our NHS team, it’s a way to get personalised treatment and care that can benefit you most.