What Does NHS Continuing Healthcare Pay For, Including Care at Home and Care Home Fees?
If somebody is eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, the NHS is responsible for arranging and funding a package to meet the health and associated social-care needs identified through the assessment.
If somebody is eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, the NHS is responsible for arranging and funding a package to meet the health and associated social-care needs identified through the assessment.
That does not mean every service or care-home price automatically becomes payable without discussion.
The package still needs to be care-planned around assessed needs, safety, outcomes and the setting in which those needs can appropriately be met.
CHC is not limited to care homes
A person can receive NHS Continuing Healthcare in their own home.
The package might involve nursing, personal care, therapies or other support required to meet assessed needs.
For some people, remaining at home is central to their desired outcomes. For others, needs may be better met in a care home or specialist setting.
What if the person is already in a care home?
Eligibility does not automatically require a move.
The ICB should consider the person’s assessed needs and appropriate care-planning options. If the current provider can meet those needs and arrangements can be agreed, continuity may be possible.
Where there is disagreement about placement or cost, ask the ICB to explain which suitable alternatives it says can safely meet the assessed needs.
Does CHC pay for accommodation too?
Where an eligible person’s CHC package is provided in a care-home setting, the NHS funding covers the package required to meet the assessed needs rather than applying the council’s ordinary means-tested residential-care contribution.
This is one of the major differences between CHC and local-authority social-care funding.
What about care at home and family carers?
A home CHC package should be based on assessed need, not an assumption that relatives will automatically provide all remaining hours.
Family members may choose to provide care, but their willingness and capacity should be understood.
If a package only works because an exhausted spouse provides substantial unpaid care overnight, raise that during care planning and review.
Can I choose any provider at any price?
CHC gives the person rights to person-centred care planning, but NHS commissioners still have duties to use public resources appropriately.
If a preferred option costs substantially more than another suitable way of meeting assessed needs, funding discussions can become complex.
Ask for the needs assessment, proposed package and reasons in writing. Specialist advice may be useful where a dispute concerns whether an alternative genuinely meets the person’s needs.
What if needs change after CHC is awarded?
CHC packages are reviewed.
The first review should normally occur within three months of the eligibility decision, and thereafter at least annually, although review should happen sooner if needs change.
A review should focus on whether the care plan still meets needs. Eligibility can also be reconsidered where needs have changed, but funding should not be withdrawn simply because care is successfully managing those needs.
Last reviewed
5 September 2026
Important informationThis guide provides general information about NHS Continuing Healthcare in England and is not intended to provide legal, financial, medical or other professional advice. Rules and processes differ elsewhere in the UK and individual circumstances can be different. You may wish to check current official information and seek advice from an appropriately qualified professional before making important decisions.