Continuing Healthcare Team

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) is a package of ongoing care that is arranged and funded solely by the National Health Service (NHS) where the individual has been assessed and found to have a long term complex  ‘health need’ as set out in the National Framework.

People are assessed by a multidisciplinary team of health and social care professionals on an individual basis dependent upon the nature, intensity, complexity and unpredictability of your health needs. This type of care is provided to an individual aged 18 or over, to meet health and associated social care needs that have arisen because of disability, accident or illness.

NHS Continuing Healthcare information is available in easy read format here.

The NHS England continuing healthcare (CHC) film explains more about CHC funding and the process. 

You can request an initial checklist assessment to see if you are eligible for a full NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessment. This is usually carried out in placement or at your home. It must be carried out by either a nurse, doctor, social worker or other healthcare professional involved in your care who is trained to do so.  

You can find out more about the NHS CHC checklist and how you will be assessed on the government website. It can be helpful for your checklist assessment if you can make notes or gather information on how you meet the CHC checklist criteria.  

• If you meet the checklist criteria then a full CHC assessment will be triggered.
• Health needs are assessed on an individual basis against an agreed set of indicators to identify a primary health need which indicates eligibility for NHS funding.

The fast track pathway is only to be used for someone who has a rapidly deteriorating condition and may be entering a terminal phase of their illness. More information on the fast-track pathway can be found on the government website.

If your health is deteriorating quickly and you're nearing the end of your life, you may be considered for the NHS Continuing Healthcare fast track pathway so an appropriate care and support package can be put in place as soon as possible. This will need to be done by an appropriate clinician such as a registered nurse, registered medical practitioner or specialist role in end of life needs.

For individuals in care homes with nursing, registered nurses are employed by the care home. In order to fund this nursing care the NHS makes a payment directly to the care home. Registered nursing may involve many different aspects of care which include planning, supervision and monitoring of healthcare tasks to meet assessed needs.

You may receive NHS funded Nursing Care (FNC) if:

• You are resident within a care home who is registered to provide nursing care

         AND

• You do not qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare but have been assessed as requiring the care of a registered nurse.

Contact your regular health or social care professional; for example this could be a nurse, social worker, care home manager or family doctor.

You can get help and advice from your local CHC team:

If you have a Liverpool or Sefton GP the contact details are as follows:

Tel: 0151 295 3901

Email merseycarechc.team@nhs.net

If you have been assessed as needing care and support but your needs are not eligible for CHC funding, you can still ask your local council for a Care Act assessment.  

A social care worker will assess you in line with the Care Act 2014 and they will offer advice and assistance on how your needs can be best met.

If your assessment shows that you are eligible for support from the council, you will be financially assessed to see if you can contribute to the cost of your support, see government website for more details.

The process involved in NHS Continuing Healthcare assessments can be complex.  An organisation called Beacon offer free independent advice on NHS Continuing Healthcare.

You can contact them via the Beacon website https://www.beaconchc.co.uk/

or call the free helpline on 0345 548 0300.

• Leaving hospital to go to another place of care
• Leaving hospital to go home
• NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS Funded Nursing Care

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.

Find out more on our professionals page.

For referrals, use this form.