What Does a CHC Nurse Advocate Do?

A CHC nurse advocate provides specialist support throughout the CHC process (from the initial Checklist through to appeals and retrospective claims). Unlike a solicitor or a general advocate, a nurse advocate understands the clinical framework of CHC from the inside.

The CHC assessment is a clinical process, evaluated against clinical criteria, by clinical professionals. The strongest advocacy is clinical advocacy (presenting evidence in the framework and language that assessors use, and identifying the clinical reasons why a domain has been under-scored or a need has been overlooked).

In practice, SG67's nurse advocates:

- Attend CHC Checklist meetings and DST assessments as your clinical advocate

- Review all medical and care records to build a complete picture of needs

- Challenge under-scoring across all 12 DST domains

- Prepare written submissions for appeals, supported by clinical evidence

- Liaise directly with the ICB on your behalf

- Manage the full process from initial enquiry through to resolution