About NHS Continuing Healthcare

The national framework sets out a single policy on who should receive NHS funding, this can be fully funded NHS Continuing Healthcare (where the NHS funds the whole care package) or NHS Funded Nursing Care (where the NHS is responsible for the nursing required from a registered nurse in a care home through a single payment).

Mersey Care is responsible for the assessment processes within the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS Funded Nursing Care and will also contribute towards care planning for individuals who meet continuing healthcare eligibility.

Our assessment team will accept referrals completed by a health or social care professional who has sufficient knowledge of the patient and is involved in their care i.e. GP, district nurse, ward nurse and or a registered therapist or social worker.

  • Before completing the referral form, the referrer is responsible for ensuring that consent is obtained from the patient and this is recorded. Where the patient does not have capacity and the family member has a registered Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for Health and Welfare (please ask the family member to provide the original authorisation documentation and check that the document clearly identifies the authorisation to act in the persons best interest and that this has the official court stamp and it is signed and dated) please ensure that a copy is retained and submitted with the completed referral form.
  • Where the person does not demonstrate mental capacity, the referrer must ensure that a full mental capacity assessment and ‘Best Interests’ consent to screening and assessment for NHS Continuing Healthcare/Funded Nursing Care/Fast Track tool has been undertaken.
  • Once the referral is complete and sent to the team, it will go through an initial screening to book in a checklist or a full NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment if appropriate. 
  • If the referral meets the criteria for a full CHC assessment, a member from the Mersey Care team will contact the referrer and the patient (or the most appropriate person to arrange a suitable date for the assessment to take place).
  • A comprehensive assessment to support completion of the decision support tool (DST), involving two or more disciplines from the multi professional disciplinary team (MDT) will then take place including a social worker where possible. 
  • The Mersey Care nurse assessor coordinates the assessment process, which usually involves requesting additional supporting evidence from other specialists e.g. physiotherapist, speech and language therapists, consultant neurologists, psychiatrists, care providers. The nurse assessor will also keep you and/or the appropriate person informed and involved in the assessment process.
  • Once the multi disciplinary team has agreed a recommendation, this will be sent to the Commissioning Support Unit for verification of eligibility. The person or family representative will be notified in writing by the Clinical Commissioning Group of the decision.