Continuing healthcare is care arranged and funded by the NHS outside of hospital for people who have ongoing healthcare needs.

Care for complex conditions

If you have a complex medical condition or you need highly specialised nursing support, you may qualify for free social care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. This is called NHS continuing healthcare. 

You can receive continuing healthcare in your own home or a care home. It is free of charge.

Find out if you're eligible

You’ll be assessed by a team of healthcare professionals, to find out if you’re eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. 

The assessment will be carried out jointly by a health professional such as a nurse and a social worker from the council. Other healthcare professionals who have been involved in your care will also be included in the assessment.

Together, they will look at your care needs and relate them to:

  • how your needs affect you and the type of help you need
  • how complex your needs are 
  • the extent and severity of your needs 
  • how unpredictable they are, including any risks to your health if the right care isn't provided at the right time

You can read about the NHS continuing healthcare assessment have a look at the NHS leaflet on continuing care.

If you’re found to be eligible, your care will be funded by the NHS.

Your care needs will be reviewed from time to time to make sure that NHS continuing healthcare is still appropriate for you.

Care and support planning

If you're eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, the next stage is to arrange a care and support package that meets your assessed needs.

Depending on your situation, you might get support in your own home, a personal budget or a place in a care home. 

If you live in a care home

NHS-funded nursing care is for people who live in a care home and need nursing care but are not eligible for continuing care.

This is different to NHS continuing healthcare.

The NHS will pay an agreed amount towards the cost of your care home, even if you are paying all the other costs yourself.