NHS Continuing Healthcare · England & Wales
Before you navigate CHC, understand what you are navigating.
NHS Continuing Healthcare can be complex — particularly when you are already managing the demands of supporting someone with significant care needs.
You may not know what to expect from an assessment, what evidence may be relevant or how to approach a decision you do not understand. Waiting until you feel overwhelmed can mean having less time to explore your options and prepare for the next steps.
You do not have to wait until you are uncertain before seeking information and support.
Find out how we can helpWho this support is for
- Individuals and families going through any stage of the CHC process
- People preparing for a Checklist, a full assessment or a review
- People trying to understand a decision and what their next steps could be
- Professionals supporting someone who may need CHC guidance
The problems it addresses
- Not knowing what to expect at each stage, or who is responsible for what
- Finding it hard to prepare and organise relevant information
- Struggling to explain complex, fluctuating or night-time needs clearly
- Being unsure about a decision, a review or the routes for raising concerns
Where are you right now?
Find the information that fits your stage.
Preparing for a CHC assessment
What happens at the Checklist and the full Decision Support Tool assessment, what evidence may be relevant and what you can ask.
Read: the DST assessmentUnderstanding the CHC process
How CHC works, how it differs from NHS-funded nursing care and social care, and how England and Wales differ.
Read: CHC explainedUnderstanding a CHC decision
What a decision letter is telling you, how the recommendation was reached and what questions it may leave unanswered.
Read: the CHC ChecklistPreparing for a review
What to expect at the initial and annual reviews, and how to show how needs have — or have not — changed.
Read: reviews and appealsIf you disagree with a decision
The local resolution and independent review routes in England, and the Local Health Board and Welsh routes in Wales.
Read: reviews and appealsDon't leave important questions unanswered.
Could you benefit from CHC preparation support?
What the service provides
Understanding where you are
We explain the stage you are at, what usually happens next and what your Integrated Care Board (England) or Local Health Board (Wales) is expected to do under the relevant national framework.
Preparing for the Checklist
Guidance on the kind of information that may be relevant at screening — under the English Checklist or the All-Wales Continuing NHS Healthcare process.
Decision Support Tool assessments
Preparation for the full multidisciplinary assessment — the DST in England or the All-Wales DST — including how to describe day-to-day needs and what to ask.
Reviews
Help preparing for initial and annual reviews, so you understand what is being looked at and can describe current needs clearly.
Understanding decisions and next steps
Guidance on what a decision means and the routes available if you disagree. We help you understand and prepare; we do not act as your legal representative or formal advocate.
Complex care navigation
Guidance on care packages, NHS-funded Nursing Care in England, the Registered Nursing Care Contribution in Wales, discharge planning and working with multiple professionals.
Who delivers it
CHC support is delivered by Dean, an experienced Mental Health Nurse who qualified around eight years ago and has worked in the NHS throughout his career, in both city and rural settings. Future You® also brings Occupational Therapy insight from Namrata, which helps families think about how everyday needs are described.
How an enquiry works
- 01You send a short enquiry telling us the stage you are at — no detailed medical information needed.
- 02We arrange an initial conversation by video, phone or in person at The Old Swan, Rhayader, Powys LD6 5AB.
- 03We tell you honestly whether our service is right for your circumstances, and explain the scope and fee before anything is booked.
- 04If you go ahead, support is tailored to your stage and the framework that applies to you.
Independent, and clear about our limits
We are not commissioned by any ICB, Local Health Board or care provider. We help you understand the process and prepare; decisions are made by the NHS under the national framework. We cannot guarantee eligibility, funding or any outcome, we do not provide legal advice or formal advocacy, and not every family needs paid support — the free guides below and official guidance may be all you need.
Start with the free guides
- NHS Continuing Healthcare explained
- The CHC Checklist: how the screening stage works
- The Decision Support Tool assessment: what to expect
- Challenging a CHC decision: reviews and appeals
- CHC, Funded Nursing Care and social care funding compared
Support is held remotely by video or phone, or in person at The Old Swan, Rhayader, Powys LD6 5AB.
Find out whether we can helpThinking beyond the process? A Future You® Life Profile is a separate, person-centred service. It is never required to access CHC support.