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Free care and support services without a financial assessment

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NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)

You are entitled to free care and support if you have substantial and ongoing health needs.

You may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding towards the cost of your health needs including:

  • when you are ready to be discharged from hospital and your long-term needs are clear
  • following a hospital discharge and rehabilitation or intermediate care (if it is then agreed your condition is unlikely to improve)
  • during reviews of your health or social care needs by adult social care
  • if you are in a nursing home and your nursing needs are reviewed
  • if your health deteriorates significantly and any current care seems inadequate
  • if you have a rapidly deteriorating condition and may be approaching end of life

Assessment

Stage 1

For most people, care needs are screened against a standard Continuing Healthcare checklist. This will indicate if you should have a full assessment.

This can be carried out by:

  • a nurse or a social worker before you're discharged from hospital
  • a GP or a nurse in your own home
  • a social worker when carrying out a community care assessment

Stage 2

A full assessment usually takes place in a meeting with:

  • you
  • health
  • social care
  • any person you would like to accompany you

Request assessment

Contact your care manager (if you already have one) to request an assessment. 

If you don't have a care manager, your district nurse, doctor or another health professional involved in your care can request this.

NHS Corby and Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board is responsible for assessing and deciding on NHS CHC and NHS-funded Nursing Care in North Northamptonshire. They are responsible for identifying, arranging and funding all of the services needed to meet your needs (NHS Continuing Healthcare or the healthcare part of a joint package of care with us).

Ineligible

If you are not eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, you could be entitled to a joint package of continuing health and social care.

This means that the NHS and the council share responsibility for providing (and possibly funding) the care agreed in your care or support plan. These arrangements are sometimes known as a joint package of continuing care.

You may be eligible even if you are funding your own care.

You may need to pay towards the social care element of your package that we provide. You will complete a financial assessment form to determine how much you need to pay.

Finding out more

Further information available about CHC:

Last updated 07 April 2025

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