NHS continuing healthcare is the name given to a package of care that is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for individuals outside of hospital who have long-term complex health needs.
You can receive NHS continuing healthcare in any setting, including your own home or in a care home. NHS continuing healthcare is free, unlike support provided by local authorities for which a financial charge may be made depending on your income and savings.
Anyone over the age of 18 assessed as having a certain level of care needs may be entitled to 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. Our local offer for children and young people is at the bottom of this page.
If your overall assessment of care needs shows that you have a ‘primary health need’, you should be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. Once eligible, your care will be funded by the NHS. This is subject to regular reviews, and should your care needs change the funding or arrangements may also change.
As a CCG, we operate under the following policies:
Requesting an assessment
If you think that you or a member of your family may be eligible for an assessment, you can request a professional involved in the person’s care to complete the first stage of the assessment, which is called the checklist. This can be a nurse, doctor, or other qualified health or social care professional, and they should have knowledge of the person and their care.
If you are being discharged from hospital, the Discharge Planning Team can complete a checklist when you are medically fit to be discharged. If you are leaving a period of rehabilitation such as an intermediate care placement, you may also be assessed using the checklist when you are medically fit to go home.
If a person is suffering from a terminal illness and entering the final stage of their illness, they can be assessed using a fast-track assessment tool. This can only be completed by a medical professional who has knowledge of the person and their care.
Visit the NHS website for more details on the assessment process and eligibility.
What happens next?
If you are eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, the next stage is to arrange a care and support package that meets your assessed needs.
Depending on your situation, different options could be suitable, including support in your own home and the option of a personal health budget – see below for our local offer.
If it’s agreed that a nursing home is the best option for you, there could be more than one local care home that’s suitable. You will be given 3 options to choose from.
The team will work collaboratively with you and consider your views when agreeing your care and support package and setting where it will be provided. However, there are other factors that will be taken into account, such as the cost and value for money of different options.
Your needs and support package will normally be reviewed within 3 months and thereafter at least annually to consider whether it meets your assessed needs. If your needs have changed, the review will also consider whether you’re still eligible for NHS continuing healthcare.
Contact us
Continuing Healthcare Team
Limousin House
Lower Ground Floor
4 Athelstan Close
Eastbourne
BN23 6TE
T: 01323 466120
F: 01323 466149
Email: ASC.CHCDutyteam@eastsussex.gov.uk
