NHS continuing healthcare assessments
You will need to be assessed by a health or care professional to see if you are eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. This assessment will follow national guidance and criteria to identify if you have a ‘primary health need'.
The first step is an initial checklist assessment by a nurse, doctor or other health or social care professional to see if you meet the criteria for a full assessment for NHS Continuing Healthcare. The professional completing the checklist will ask for your consent, write down the reasons for their decision and give you a copy of it.
If you meet the criteria, you will go on to have a full assessment of your eligibility. However, having a full assessment does not necessarily mean you'll be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare.
The full assessment will be carried out by a multidisciplinary team of at least two people from different healthcare professionals. It should usually include both health and social care professionals who are already involved in your care.
This looks at twelve different types of need, for example, mobility, nutrition, and behaviour. The assessment gives each need a ‘weighting’ to show if you have “priority" "severe", "high", "moderate", "low" or "no needs". The weighting will depend on the nature, complexity, intensity, and unpredictability of your needs, including any risks to your health if you do not get the right care at the right time.
The assessment should consider your views and those of your carers. You should be fully informed and involved and be given a copy of the decision documents, along with clear reasons for the decision.
If you need an urgent decision, for example if your health is rapidly deteriorating or your illness is entering a terminal phase, we can ‘fast track’ your assessment to make sure you get the healthcare you need quickly.