NHS continuing healthcare assessment for adults

Find out how NHS continuing healthcare funding works for adults.

If you are an adult (age 18 or over), nurse assessors will establish whether you are, or someone you care for is, eligible for NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding.

They do this using a checklist and a decision support tool, as provided in the Department of Health National Framework, which helps them to work out whether you have a ‘primary health need’.

On 1 February 2020 staff working in CHC services in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire transferred to the Clinical Commissioning Group. Therefore please note that contact information was updated on this date.

The assessment process has two stages

1. NHS continuing healthcare checklist

The checklist helps to identify whether or not you are eligible for a full assessment. It must be completed by a practitioner who has suitable training. This could be a social worker or a healthcare professional.

If the Checklist shows that you require a full assessment for Continuing Healthcare, then you will be referred on to a Nurse Assessor to conduct the second stage of the assessment. The relevant CHC nurse assessor will work with you, your family or representative and all relevant professionals to collect the information they need to complete the assessment.

For more information about NHS continuing healthcare or NHS funded nursing care

Tel: 0117 900 2626 (option two)

Email (Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire): bnssg.chcteam@nhs.net

Postal:

Continuing Healthcare Team
360 Bristol – Three Six Zero
Marlborough Street
Bristol
BS1 3NX

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2. NHS continuing healthcare decision support tool

If you are eligible for a full assessment for NHS continuing healthcare, your needs will be assessed using the decision support tool.

The decision support tool sets out 12 areas to examine, that will be graded in accordance with your assessed level of need. The nature, complexity, intensity and unpredictability of your overall needs are also considered.

We will send our decision on eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare funding to you within 28 days of receiving a positive checklist.

CHC for people at end of life

The Fast Track Pathway tool is used where an appropriate clinician considers that a person should be fast tracked for NHS CHC because that person has a rapidly deteriorating condition which may be entering a terminal phase. Appropriate clinicians are those who are responsible for an individual’s diagnosis, treatment or care and are registered medical practitioners such as consultants, registrars, GPs or registered nurses.

The person may need NHS CHC funding to enable their care needs to be urgently met. The purpose of the Fast Track Pathway Tool is to ensure that individuals with a rapidly deteriorating condition, which may be entering a terminal phase, are supported in their preferred place of care as quickly as possible, either in their own home or in a care setting.

Referrals for Fast track need to be completed by an appropriate clinician who is GMC or NMC registered. Patients must be registered with a GP within BNSSG. A consent form is also required as part of the process.

For more information about Fast Track in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, please contact:

Tel: 0117 900 2626 (option one)
Email (Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire): bnssg.fasttrack@nhs.net

Postal:

Continuing Healthcare Fast Track Service
360 Bristol – Three Six Zero
Marlborough Street
Bristol
BS1 3NX