Continuing Care

(asked on 19th July 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the rates of compliance with the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS funded Nursing Care by Integrated Care Boards.


Answered by
Helen Whately Portrait
Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 4th September 2023

The Department is responsible for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) policy, legislation and guidance on the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care.

This guidance sets out clear processes for CHC assessment that all integrated care boards (ICBs) must follow. Operational delivery of CHC is the responsibility of ICBs with oversight from NHS England.

As set out in the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012, ICBs must have regard to the National Framework.

Although there are no sanctions in place for ICBs that do not comply with the National Framework, NHS England has powers under the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended by the Health and Care Act 2022, to direct ICBs when it has duly identified that (a) an ICB is failing, or (b) is at risk of failing, to discharge its functions.

NHS England has an assurance regime in place to ensure that individuals are assessed for CHC in a timely manner and that these assessments are undertaken at the right time and in the right place. This ensures an accurate assessment, equal access, standardisation, and consistency within CHC.

Data on NHS Continuing Healthcare, including ICB delivery of NHS CHC assurance standards, is published quarterly and available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/nhs-chc-fnc/

Reticulating Splines