CHC Advice

NHS Continuing Healthcare is funding provided by the NHS for individuals with ongoing healthcare needs, covering care costs in homes or care facilities.

I offer personalised support to help secure care funding from the start, alleviating financial burdens for families. If your application for Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding has been denied, I can assist you in understanding the reasons behind the decision and provide support in the appeals process. With my extensive experience in navigating NHS regulations and the appeals process, I can help you gather necessary evidence and prepare a robust case to challenge the decision. At Jane's Healthcare, we believe that everyone deserves access to essential funding for their care, and we are here to help you every step of the way.

The CHC assessment process involves evaluating an individual's healthcare needs to determine their eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding. This assessment typically includes a comprehensive review of the individual's medical history, current health conditions, and any support they may require. It involves input from a multidisciplinary team, including healthcare professionals who assess various domains of care, such as mobility, nutrition, and personal care needs. The outcome of this assessment determines whether an individual qualifies for funding to cover the costs of their care.

Health needs such as dementia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s can qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding.

Team (MDT) assesses the totality of the individual’s needs.

Stage 1

Our Stage 1 advisers form the front line of our I&A Service and will be the first people you contact. Tier 1 advisers can provide unlimited, straightforward, and useful advice about CHC, including how to request and prepare for an assessment, initiate a review of an eligibility decision, and more.

This advice can be provided via phone, email or video call.

Stage 2

For those who require more in-depth or detailed advice, our Stage 2 service can provide up to 120 minutes of free guidance from a trained adviser. These 120 minutes are not required in a consultation but may be used across several advice sessions.

Stage 2 consultations can cover any aspect of CHC, including advice on assessments, reviews of eligibility decisions, care planning processes, including PHBs as well as other associated guidance and restitution, requests for retrospective funding, joint funding, FNC, responsible commissioner guidance, the review of relevant documentation prior to and/or during the consultation, and recommendations of the next steps.

Stage 2 consultations are usually provided via phone; however, we can arrange video calls using Microsoft Teams.

Outside of exceptional circumstances, you must first have a telephone call with a Tier 1 advisor before any referral is made to Tier 2.

As part of your 90-minute time allocation, our Information & Advice Service advisers can discuss your situation with you, review any relevant documents, and advise on the likelihood of eligibility. However, without going through the assessment process, nobody can know whether an individual will or will not be eligible.

After the 90-minute time allocation is completed, some individuals choose to proceed with one of our paid services so that further time can be dedicated to their case. Jane’s Healthcare Information & Advice Service and paid services teams are separate and distinct; however, your case files would be passed to the paid services team in this instance. Then a discussion will occur in terms of costs.

Jane has a proven track record in the appeals process, advocating for clients and ensuring NHS England upholds eligibility decisions.

Safeguarding ensures the safety and well-being of individuals receiving care, particularly in complex cases involving potential abuse.

At Jane’s Healthcare, we are experts in COP3 capacity assessments for applications to the Court of Protection. Each COP3 capacity assessment we carry out is comprehensive and done carefully, considering the legal guidance/requirements for the specific decision.

The Court of Protection is a specialist Court that deals with decisions relating to people who lack the mental capacity to make certain choices for themselves. These decisions range from managing property and financial affairs to making health and welfare decisions, lasting power of attorney UK, writing a will (testamentary capacity), making a lifetime gift, litigation capacity (capacity to conduct proceedings), decisions to marry, consent to sexual relations, and many more.

When applying to the court of protection, a capacity assessment must be carried out. The report (completed on a CoP3 form) must be submitted with the application. If the person lacks mental capacity, the completed COP3 form gives evidence of that lack and helps the court decide if the matter is within its jurisdiction. At Jane’s Healthcare, we specialise in carrying out robust court of protection capacity assessments that provide the necessary evidence.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 outlines how mental capacity assessments should be carried out to determine whether a person lacks capacity. This is done in two stages, with the first stage being the need for evidence that the person being assessed “has an impairment of, or disturbance in the functioning of, their mind or brain.” The person doesn't need a diagnosis to meet this criterion during a capacity assessment. For example, acute confusion, memory loss, impaired cognition because of the effects of drugs or alcohol, are all impairments or disturbances of the mind or brain, whether diagnosed or not and whether temporary or enduring. The second stage requires the mental capacity assessor to establish whether the impairment affects the person’s ability to understand, retain, weigh up or use the information provided to make up their mind about the decision. Finally, the person must communicate their decision by any means (verbal, nonverbal or other communication methods the person can use).

We are specialists offering comprehensive mental capacity assessments. Our service's advantage to clients is the combination of efficiency and professionalism. Our assessors have expertise and experience in assessing clients of varying complexity, age, and presenting needs.