Contact details for the Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Team:
SPA telephone: 01905 681975
SPA email address:
SOWOCCG.CHCworcestershire@nhs.net Postal address: 3 Wildwood Triangle, Swinesherd Way, Worcester, WR5 2QX
Please note, drop in appointments are not available at this address. Please telephone the SPA number to book an appointment if you need to meet with a member of the team.
What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
NHS Continuing Healthcare is the name given to a package of care which is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for individuals, aged 18 years and over outside of hospital who have been deemed to have a “Primary Health Need” and have on-going complex, intense or unpredictable healthcare needs. NHS Continuing Healthcare can be provided by the NHS in a residential home, nursing home or at the patient’s own home.
Eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare is not dependent on any particular disease, diagnosis or medical condition. Eligibility is assessed through a process as defined in the Department of Health National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care.
How do I know if I am eligible?
The first step in the process for most people will be a screening process, using the NHS Continuing Healthcare Checklist. This will be completed by a social worker or NHS health professional and will fully involve you and, if you choose, your family, carers or representative. Where the Checklist is deemed to be positive, a referral to the Continuing Care team for a full and comprehensive assessment of eligibility will take place.
To determine a person’s needs, a comprehensive health needs assessment is completed by multi-disciplinary health and social care professionals which will inform the completion of a Decision Support Tool. The Decision Support Tool (DST) is not an assessment in itself but helps bring together information in a single format to facilitate decision making regarding NHS Continuing Healthcare eligibility.
What happens after the DST?
The multi-disciplinary team will make a recommendation to the CCG regarding your eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare. The CCG will then ratify this recommendation and write to you with the outcome of this decision. In most cases, the decision will be made within 28 days of the CCG receiving the complete CHC Checklist Tool.
What happens if I am assessed and deemed not eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare?
You should wait for written confirmation of the outcome of the eligibility decision. If you are unhappy with the outcome, you should firstly speak to the Continuing Healthcare Nurse Assessor involved the case and ask for an informal meeting. This will allow you to discuss areas of concern and obtain clarification where needed. If you are still unhappy, the CCG has an appeals process which the Nurse Assessor will explain to you.
Where is NHS continuing healthcare provided?
NHS Continuing Healthcare can be provided by the NHS in any setting, including a nursing home, residential home or in your own home. If NHS continuing healthcare is provided in a care home, it will cover the care home fees, including the cost of accommodation, personal care and healthcare costs. If NHS continuing care is provided in the home of the person, it will cover personal care and healthcare costs. Those in receipt of NHS Continuing Healthcare continue to be entitled to access to the full range of health services. This means, for example, GP, Hospital and Community, Nursing Services.
What if my care needs change?
If you are deemed eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, this is subject to review initially after three months and if you still remain eligible at 12 monthly intervals. Should your health care needs change you may need to be reviewed in line with these changes. Should your needs change and it is deemed that you are no longer be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding, a referral to the Local Authority will be made to determine the funding stream to meet your on-going care needs.
What is Funded Nursing Care?
If you are not eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, but are in a nursing home (a care home that is registered to provide nursing care), you may be eligible for NHS funded Nursing Care. This means that the NHS will pay a contribution towards your Registered Nursing Care needs. The NHS will make a payment directly to the care home to fund care from registered nurses who are usually employed by the care home.
What is the Fast-Track tool?
This tool should be used where an appropriate clinician considers that a person should be fast tracked for NHS Continuing Healthcare because that person has a rapidly deteriorating condition and the condition may be entering a terminal phase. The person may need NHS Continuing Healthcare funding to enable their care to be funded to be urgently to enable them to go home to die or to be transferred to a care home setting.
Personal Health Budgets
From April 2014 anyone eligible for CHC has the right to have a Personal Health Budget A Personal Health Budget can be provided in a range of ways and gives people a greater choice over how, when and who provides their care and support. A Personal Health Care Budget can be discussed in detail with the Nurse Assessor responsible for your assessment or review.
The Department for Health also publishes a public information booklet on both Continuing Healthcare and funded nursing care.
If you would like more information
If you would like further information on Continuing Healthcare you can contact the Continuing Healthcare team either by email or in writing to:
Worcestershire Continuing Healthcare (CHC Team)
3 The Triangle
Wildwood Drive
Worcester
WR5 2QX
SOWOCCG.CHCWORCESTERSHIRE@NHS.NET