Is there a case for NHS Continuing Healthcare? A straight answer, in writing.
A registered nurse reads the care records and the paperwork you already have, and tells you honestly whether NHS Continuing Healthcare is worth pursuing, what the strongest and weakest parts of the case are, and what the next step should be. If there is not a case, we say so, and you stop spending money on it.
Find out where you stand before you fight
NHS Continuing Healthcare is the one funding route that can pay for the whole of someone’s care, including a care home place, without a means test. It is also the one families most often lose, not because there is no case, but because the case is put badly, late, or without the evidence that was sitting in the care notes all along.
The CHC Review is the step before any of that. You send us what you have: the Checklist or Decision Support Tool if one has been done, the letter with the decision, and whatever care records, GP letters and assessments you can get hold of. We read it all with the National Framework beside us and write down what we think.
What you get is an opinion, not a promise
Sometimes the honest answer is that the person does not meet the threshold, or that the case is a Funded Nursing Care case rather than a CHC one, or that there is a case but the timing has run out. We will tell you that plainly, and point you at the funding routes that do apply, because an honest “no” early is worth far more than an expensive “maybe” later.
If there is a case, the opinion sets out where the evidence is strong, where it is thin, what needs gathering, and which of the next steps makes sense: a Checklist, a full assessment, a request for a review of the decision, or a retrospective claim. Every one of those steps is a separate, fixed-price service on our fees page, and none of them is compulsory.
- A CHC Checklist or full assessment has said “not eligible” and you do not believe it
- Nobody has ever screened the person for CHC, and their needs are complex, unpredictable or getting worse
- The person is in a care home paying their own fees, and you have been told “that is just how it is”
- A social worker, care home or GP has mentioned CHC but nobody has explained what it means
- You have a Decision Support Tool in front of you and cannot tell whether the scores are fair
- Someone has died and you think care that should have been NHS-funded was paid for privately
What you get for £325
Everything below is included in the fixed fee. There is nothing to add on afterwards.
Records review
A registered nurse reads the care records, assessments, Checklist or Decision Support Tool and correspondence you send us, against the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare.
Written eligibility opinion
Our honest view on whether there is a case, domain by domain where a DST exists, with the reasoning set out so you can see how we reached it.
Recommended next step
One clear recommendation: pursue it, and how; or do not, and what to do instead. With the time limits that apply written down.
A call to go through it
Once you have read the opinion, we talk it through by telephone or video, answer your questions and make sure the family is clear on what happens next.
Fixed fee, agreed in advance
From booking to a written opinion
Book
Get in touch and tell us the situation in a sentence or two. We confirm the fee and how to send the paperwork.
Send the records
Any decision letters, Checklist, Decision Support Tool, care plans, GP or hospital letters. We tell you what else is worth asking for, and who to ask.
We read and write
A registered nurse reviews everything against the Framework and writes the opinion. We tell you the turnaround when we quote; it depends on how much there is to read.
You decide
We go through the opinion with you. You choose whether to take it further, with us or without us, or to close the question and move on.
What can come next, and what each step costs
The review is designed to stand on its own. Many families take the opinion and act on it themselves, and we are glad when they do. If you would rather have a nurse beside you for the next stage, every step is a separate fixed fee, published in full on our fees page.
- CHC Checklist advocacy — preparation call, evidence sheet, attendance at the Checklist and a follow-up letter. £1,450 exc. VAT
- CHC Expert Analysis — a full written merits report on a refused Decision Support Tool, domain by domain. £1,250 exc. VAT
- Assessment preparation and DST attendance — records review, evidence pack and a nurse in the room for the Decision Support Tool. £1,850 exc. VAT
- Full assessment package — the whole first assessment, from records to written follow-up. £3,450 exc. VAT
- Review-meeting support — preparation and attendance at a three-month or annual review where funding is at risk. £1,450 exc. VAT
- Independent Review Panel representation — submission and representation at the NHS England IRP. £3,450 exc. VAT
The £325 you have paid for the review is not wasted if you go on: the reading has been done, and the opinion becomes the working document for whatever follows.
- We say so, in writing, with the reasons
- We tell you whether Funded Nursing Care, section 117 aftercare or a local authority contribution applies instead
- We point you at the funding entitlement check (£225 exc. VAT) if the wider money picture is unclear
- There is nothing else to pay
CHC Review questions
What is NHS Continuing Healthcare, in one paragraph?
It is a package of care arranged and funded entirely by the NHS for adults in England whose needs arise mainly from their health, rather than from age or social circumstances. It is not means-tested. Eligibility turns on whether the person has a “primary health need”, assessed through a Checklist and then a Decision Support Tool across twelve care domains. Our CHC funding guide explains the whole process.
What do I need to send you?
Whatever you have. The decision letter and the Checklist or Decision Support Tool if there has been one; care plans and daily notes from the care home or agency; GP summaries, hospital discharge letters, specialist reports. If you have nothing yet, we tell you what to ask for and who from. You are entitled to copies of the person’s records if you are their attorney, deputy or acting with their consent.
Is there a time limit for challenging a CHC decision?
Yes. Under the National Framework you should normally ask for a decision to be reviewed within six months of being told about it. Time limits are one of the first things we check, and one of the reasons not to wait before getting a review.
Can you review a case for someone who has died?
Yes. Where care that should have been NHS-funded was paid for privately, it is sometimes possible to claim it back retrospectively. The rules on how far back a claim can go are strict and have changed over the years, so the review will say clearly whether a claim is realistic before you invest anything further.
Will you tell us if there is no case?
Yes, and we will say why. We are paid the same fixed fee whatever the answer, we take no commission from anyone, and we do not sell the next step unless it is genuinely worth taking. Our independence is the whole point.
Can a solicitor, attorney or deputy commission the review?
Yes. Attorneys, deputies and solicitors instruct us regularly, and the written opinion is written to be put on file and relied on. See how we work with professionals.
Related pages
CHC funding explained
Who qualifies for NHS Continuing Healthcare, how the assessment works, and how to ask for one.
Free CHC checklist tool
Work through the twelve care domains yourself and see whether a full assessment looks likely.
CHC appeals and representation
What happens after a refusal: local review, the Independent Review Panel, and where a nurse can help.
You don’t need to know which service you need.
Just tell us what’s happening.
No pressure. No care-provider commissions. Just a conversation about what may help.Independent · no commission from any care provider · fees published
Professionals