NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) pays the full cost of care, at home or in a care home, for people whose main need is a health need. It is not means-tested, but many families never ask. This checker follows the same 11 areas of need as the official NHS CHC Checklist that professionals use to decide whether to do a full assessment.
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Choosing a care home: the 40-point checklist
Take it on every visit and compare up to three homes side by side: CQC checks, staffing, daily life, the room, fees and the contract.
How the official process works
- Checklist. A nurse, doctor or social worker completes the Checklist with you. It is a screening tool: the bar is set low on purpose.
- Full assessment. If the Checklist is positive, a team of professionals assesses the person using the Decision Support Tool across 12 areas of need.
- Decision. The Integrated Care Board decides, normally within 28 days of the Checklist. You can ask for a review if you disagree.
Source: Department of Health and Social Care, National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, and the NHS CHC Checklist (2022). This tool is a guide, not an assessment.
Questions
What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
A package of care arranged and fully funded by the NHS for adults whose main need is a health need (a "primary health need"). It can pay for care at home or the full fees of a care home, and it is not means-tested.
Who decides if someone is eligible?
The local Integrated Care Board (ICB). A health or social care professional first completes the Checklist. If it is positive, a team of professionals carries out a full assessment using the Decision Support Tool and makes a recommendation, usually within 28 days.
Can a family ask for the Checklist?
Yes. Ask the hospital discharge team, GP, district nurse or social worker. The person (or someone with authority to act for them) should be involved and agree to the assessment.
What is the Fast Track?
If someone has a rapidly deteriorating condition and may be entering the last phase of life, a clinician can complete the Fast Track Pathway Tool so NHS-funded care can start within days, without the full assessment.
What if they are not eligible?
Someone in a nursing home who needs care from a registered nurse may get NHS-funded nursing care (a weekly payment to the home). Needs change, so ask for a review if things get worse. You can also ask the ICB to review a decision you disagree with.