Welcome to CHC Clarity

NHS Continuing Healthcare, put simply.

Most people only hear about NHS Continuing Healthcare when life already feels overwhelming. The words can sound technical. The process can feel unclear. Our role is to explain what CHC is really asking, in plain English.

Our niche

We cut through the jargon so families can understand the process, the evidence and the real question being asked.

CHC is not just asking whether someone needs care. It is asking whether their overall needs are mainly health needs, and whether responsibility for their care should sit with the NHS.

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Plain English

No jargon. Just clear explanations of the words families are expected to understand.

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Clear process

Understand the Checklist, the DST, the stages and what each part is actually for.

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Whole picture

CHC is not about one diagnosis, one score or one word. It is about the overall picture.

NHS Continuing Healthcare put simply graphic by CHC Clarity

What is CHC really asking?

This is the key question families need to understand first. CHC is not simply asking whether someone needs care. It is asking who should be responsible for that care.

What is CHC really asking graphic by CHC Clarity

Social care

Supporting someone to live their daily life.

Social care often supports a person with everyday living.

Examples: washing, dressing, toileting and meals.
Examples: prompts, supervision, routines and staying safe at home.
Examples: support to maintain independence, wellbeing and ordinary daily life.

CHC

Support with health needs to help someone live safely.

CHC looks at whether the person’s health needs, risks and care requirements mean the NHS should be responsible.

Examples: swallowing risk, pressure damage, unstable breathing or severe pain.
Examples: needs that change quickly, interact with each other or require close monitoring.
Examples: care that is mainly about managing health risk, not just daily support.

Things families are often surprised to learn

CHC is often misunderstood. It is not means-tested. A diagnosis alone does not decide eligibility. A positive Checklist is not the final answer. And the DST is not just a scoring exercise.

Things families are often surprised to learn about CHC graphic by CHC Clarity

The first step: the Checklist

The Checklist is the first screening step. It helps identify whether the person should move on to a fuller CHC assessment.

The Checklist first screening step graphic by CHC Clarity

The Checklist

A positive Checklist does not award CHC. It usually means the person should move on to the fuller assessment, called the DST.

The DST what are they looking for graphic by CHC Clarity

The DST

The DST brings together the person’s needs, risks and overall care picture. It helps inform the CHC decision.

Is there a pass mark?

This is one of the biggest misconceptions. CHC is not awarded by simply adding up scores. The real question is whether the person has a Primary Health Need.

No pass mark for CHC graphic by CHC Clarity

CHC, put simply.

We are explainers. We help families understand what CHC means, what the process is asking and how the pieces fit together — without jargon, pressure or confusion.

An informational poster about NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) clarity, emphasizing plain English, clear processes, and understanding the whole picture in healthcare planning.
Comparison chart showing what Community Health Care (CHC) is really asking for—social care or health care, with icons representing each aspect, and the note that CHC considers overall health needs.
An infographic titled "Things families are often surprised to learn" from CHC Clarity, explaining key facts about CHIP health coverage, including that CHC is not means-tested, a diagnosis alone does not determine eligibility, a positive checklist is not final, the DST is a tool for evidence, and decisions can be challenged.
Informational poster about the first screening step for CHC assessment. It includes a logo, contact email, and explains what the checklist is and isn't, emphasizing the importance of moving on to a fuller assessment if the checklist is positive.
An informational infographic about the Disability Screening Tool (DST). It explains that the DST is a comprehensive assessment that considers nature, intensity, complexity, and unpredictability of a person's needs to inform care plans. It features icons for each aspect and emphasizes that the DST organizes evidence, not just scores.
A healthcare infographic from CHC Clarity explaining that there is no pass mark for CHC, emphasizing a holistic decision process, with icons of a cross, files, a person with a heart, a group of people, and a lightbulb.