Most NHS Continuing Healthcare refusals share the same avoidable mistakes. Find out what they are, why they happen, and how to make sure none of them affect your outcome.

NHS Continuing Healthcare assessors work through 12 specific domains. Find out what they ask in each one, what they are really looking for, and how to give answers that accurately reflect your loved one's needs.

Find out how to prepare for an NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment, what the assessors are looking for, and the mistakes that cost families their funding.

Preparation is one of the most powerful things a family can do before an NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment. Having the right documents and evidence ready, and knowing how to present them within the assessment framework, can significantly improve the outcome. Why does documentation matter? The NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment is based on a structured clinical framework. The assessors score the person's needs across 12 domains using the Decision Support Tool (DST). Each

The NHS Continuing Healthcare Checklist is the first and most important gate in the assessment process. Understand how it works, what is assessed, and what to do if the outcome is wrong.

Timelines vary significantly depending on the ICB and individual circumstances. In general: - The Checklist should be completed within 28 days of referral - The full DST assessment can take a further four to eight weeks from the Checklist outcome - The ICB's funding decision follows the MDT meeting In urgent situations (where a person is rapidly deteriorating) the Fast Track CHC pathway can bypass the standard assessment entirely and secure funding within days. Speak to an ex

The CHC assessment is a two-stage process. Most families are surprised to learn how structured (and how challengeable) it is. Understanding the process is the first step to navigating it effectively. Stage 1: The CHC Checklist (Tool 11) The Checklist (formally known as Tool 11) is a screening tool. A healthcare or social care professional completes it, looking at 11 areas of need: breathing, nutrition, continence, skin, mobility, communication, behaviour, cognition, psycholog

To qualify for CHC, a person must be found to have a 'primary health need' - this is the legal test set out in the NHS National Framework for Continuing Healthcare. A primary health need exists when the care a person requires is primarily driven by their health condition - not just social or personal care needs. The assessment looks at four key factors: Nature What type of care is needed, and does it require clinical oversight — such as medication management, wound care, or c