Healthcare Funding

Healthcare in the UK is free at the point of delivery. Therefore, if you have an identified healthcare need and you are receiving live-in care in your own home, you may be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding, which is arranged and funded by your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

A healthcare need relates to the treatment, control or prevention of a disease, illness, injury or disability and the after care of a person living with these conditions.

Having a disability or having been diagnosed with a long-term illness may not, on its own, qualify you or your loved one for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding.

The assessment undertaken by the CCG must conclude that the individual has a primary health need. This means that the main need is health-related, as opposed to being considered a social care need.

NHS Continuing Healthcare is non-means tested and funding can be used to receive care in your own home. The level of healthcare funding available will be determined not just by your health needs, but also by the location of your CCG in the country, as this impacts the availability of funding.

Each of your needs will be categorised as low, moderate, high, severe, or priority. If you have at least one priority need or more than one severe need, you will be eligible for the support you require.

If it has been decided that you are eligible, you will be invited to speak to the healthcare professional to discuss how and where you wish to receive the care you need, as well as the organisation you would prefer to provide your care.

Unfortunately, dementia care is typically not considered a healthcare need so will not always be funded through this type of funding.

The healthcare professional will look at your care needs and relate them to the following:

• What help you need
• How complex your needs are
• How intense your needs can be
• How unpredictable your needs can be

The following needs will be considered:

• Breathing
• Nutrition (food and drink)
• Continence
• Skin (including wounds and ulcers)
• Mobility
• Communication
• Psychological and emotional needs
• Cognition (understanding)
• Behaviour
• Drugs, therapies and medicine
• Altered states of consciousness