NHS continuing healthcare is care arranged and funded by the NHS outside of hospital for people who have ongoing extensive healthcare needs.
A package of care is arranged once your health needs have been assessed.
This funding will pay for care in many settings including in your own home or a care home. It is free of charge and you will not be asked to pay.
Who is eligible?
Anyone over 18 years old assessed as having a certain level of care needs may receive NHS continuing healthcare. It is not dependent on a particular disease, diagnosis or condition, nor on who provides the care or where that care is provided.
The continuing healthcare assessment will be carried out jointly by a health professional such as a nurse and a social worker from the council. The views of other professionals such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists and doctors who have been involved in your care will also be taken into account to ensure that the assessment gives a full picture of your situation.
The assessment looks at all your care needs and relates them to 4 factors:
- 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.
To get an assessment you should contact your regular health or social care professional. This could be your nurse, social worker, care manager or family doctor.
Read more about NHS continuing healthcare on NHS.UK.
NHS-funded nursing care
NHS-funded nursing care 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.
Read more about NHS-funded nursing care on NHS.UK.