NHS continuing healthcare

If your main need for care relates to your health, the NHS is responsible for providing for all your needs.

NHS Continuing Healthcare is a package of continuing care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. It's also sometimes known as fully funded NHS care.

To be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, your main or primary need must relate to your health. Your needs will be assessed to decide if you're eligible.

If you're eligible, you're likely to have a complex medical condition that requires a lot of care and support; you're also likely to need highly specialised nursing support.

Someone approaching the end of their life is also likely to be eligible, if they have a condition that is rapidly getting worse and may be terminal.

NHS Continuing Healthcare may be provided in any setting, for example:

  • in your own home - the NHS will fund all the care required to meet your assessed needs, or

  • in a care home or nursing home - the NHS will make a contract with the home and pay the full fees for your accommodation, as well as all your care.

Beacon

Beacon are a social enterprise organisation that have been funded by NHS England to provide free information and advice about Continuing Health Care. The Beacon website (opens in a new window) provides lots of information but they also have an advice line Tel: 0345 548 0300 which is available if you want to discuss a Continuing Health Care decision or would like advice about the process.

Related documents

The following document is in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download software to view PDF documents for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)

Information on other websites

NHS Choices - continuing healthcare information (opens in a new window)