When a requirement for care is assessed as a ‘primary health need’ (and if these health needs are sufficiently acute), the NHS will pay all the costs relating to an individual’s care (both residential and nursing) – an outcome known as Continuing Healthcare (CHC).
However, not only is the whole process unclear and misunderstood by many, it is also notoriously complicated and time consuming, and funding is therefore often difficult to obtain. This is one of the reasons why we offer a professional service at Oxmoor Care Consultancy to help people through the process and ultimately improve the chances of success.
The official CHC process is carried out in 2 stages. The first stage is called the ‘Checklist Assessment’, and comprises 12 different sections, or ‘domains’. It is typically carried out by a nurse or doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. If this assessment is successful, a second stage ‘Full Assessment’ is carried out, using the ‘Decision Support Tool’ (DST), to decide if you are eligible to receive NHS Continuing Healthcare. This is usually carried out by a multi-disciplinary team (MDT), including a mix of at least two professionals from different disciplines. A family member should always be informed of these assessments and be invited to attend.
Continuing Healthcare
What we do
In situations where there is uncertainty about whether full funding should be granted, or if the standard procedures for assessment have not been previously followed, we use the following process to help secure CHC:
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Ideally, we start working with you either at or before the person concerned goes into care. This means we can minimise the time you might otherwise have to pay in full for care.
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At first we gain a thorough understanding, past and present, of the person going into care – medically and financially.
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We examine in detail their care plan notes, as well as talking to someone with current or recent responsibility for the individual’s care.
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Next we conduct our own CHC review of the individual, using the same DST process employed by the NHS, in order to determine the likelihood of qualifying for funding.
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At this point we produce a report setting out our conclusions and proposed next steps.
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If desired, we can attend and advise at the official Stage 1 and Stage 2 Assessments, to help maximise the prospect of obtaining CHC funding.
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We are also able to assist in securing CHC retrospectively if there is evidence that it has been incorrectly refused in the past.
"Oxmoor Care Consultancy were outstanding in the work they did, helping to get Continuing Healthcare for my father."