CHC, put simply.
NHS Continuing Healthcare, explained clearly.
NHS Continuing Healthcare is trying to answer one question:
Who is responsible for meeting these needs?
The NHS? Or the Local Authority?
We explain the process clearly, simply and without jargon.
The CHC Decision Process
What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
CHC is NHS funding for people whose needs are primarily health needs. It covers the full cost of care — whether at home or in a care setting.
Eligibility is not based on age, diagnosis, care home placement, or a particular score on a form.
The real question
Does the person have a Primary Health Need?
If the answer is yes, the NHS is responsible for meeting those needs. If the answer is no, responsibility falls to the Local Authority.
Who should legally meet these needs?
Not all care needs are the same. The type of need determines who is responsible.
Local Authority
Typically responsible for social care needs:
- Washing
- Dressing
- Preparing meals
- Daily living support
- Social support
NHS
Typically responsible for health care needs:
- Complex medication
- Pressure damage
- Swallowing difficulties
- Clinical monitoring
- Unstable conditions
- High health risks
In practice, many people have a mix of both. CHC determines which type of need is primary.
The Heart of CHC
The Heart of CHC
The whole NHS Continuing Healthcare process is trying to answer one question:
"Does this person have a Primary Health Need?"
There is no pass mark.
There is no score within the Decision Support Tool that automatically means someone qualifies for NHS Continuing Healthcare.
There is no legal definition.
A Primary Health Need does not have a single legal definition. Every person must be considered individually.
There is no automatic eligibility.
Even high scores within the Decision Support Tool do not automatically mean a person is eligible.
How is this decided?
Professionals apply four key characteristics to the evidence.
Nature
What are the person's needs and how do they affect them?
Intensity
How much care is required and how often?
Complexity
How do different needs interact and make care more difficult?
Unpredictability
How likely are the person's needs to fluctuate or create significant risk?
Professionals consider all of the available evidence, apply the four key characteristics and use professional judgement to determine whether the person's needs, taken as a whole, amount to a Primary Health Need.
If Yes
NHS Responsibility
The NHS is responsible for arranging and funding care.
If No
Local Authority Responsibility
The Local Authority may have responsibility for meeting eligible social care needs.
CHC is not about a diagnosis.
It is not about a pass mark.
It is about understanding who is legally responsible for meeting the person's needs.
CHC Clarity
CHC, put simply.
Explore the CHC process
Each section explains one part of the process in plain English.
Not sure where to start?
Begin with the CHC Journey — a simple, step-by-step walkthrough of the entire process from first screening to final decision.
View the CHC Journey