Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to review the (a) necessity and (b) frequency of annual reviews within NHS Continuing Health Care; and whether he plans to adjust those requirements.

The National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care outlines the necessity and frequency of NHS Continuing Healthcare reviews. A review should be undertaken within three months of the eligibility decision being made, and then on at least an annual basis. Reviews should primarily focus on whether the care plan or arrangements remain appropriate to meet the individual’s needs. It is expected that, in the majority of cases, there will be no need to reassess for eligibility. The frequency, format and attendance at reviews should be proportionate to the situation in question.