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Below you can find out about NHS continuing healthcare.
This is the name given to a package of care which is arranged and funded solely by the NHS for people who have ongoing healthcare needs, but are outside of hospital care. You can receive NHS continuing healthcare in any setting - including your own home or any care home. In your own home, this means that the NHS will pay for healthcare, for example services from a community nurse or specialist therapist; and personal care, for example help with bathing, dressing and laundry. In a care home, the NHS pays for your fees, including board and accommodation.
Anyone assessed as having a certain level of needs may receive continuing healthcare. It is not dependent on a particular disease, diagnosis or condition; or on who provides the care or where that care is provided. If your overall care needs show that your primary need is a health need you should be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. Once eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, your care will be funded by the NHS, but this is subject to review and should your care needs change then the funding arrangements may also change.
If you are not eligible, the local authority will discuss with you whether you are eligible for support from them instead. If you are not eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, but still have health needs, the NHS may still pay for part of the package of support. This is sometimes known as a ‘joint package’ of care. Whether or not you are eligible for NHS continuing healthcare, you will still be able to make full use of all the other NHS services in Oldham, in the same way as any other patient.
If you are not happy with a decision relating to NHS continuing healthcare you can find out what to do in documents below. Appeals policy Dispute Resolution Procedure for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS Funded Nursing Care.
You can find out more by reading the Department of Health's NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care booklet, which is available by clicking here.