Continuing Healthcare In Wales

13 August 2018

NHS continuing healthcare is a package of care funded by the NHS for individuals with a primary health need, regardless of the individual’s ability to pay for their care. It can, for instance, pay for care home fees. Healthcare is a ‘devolved power’, and so the Welsh Government has responsibility for setting the rules (rather than the UK Government, as in England).

In Wales, you can ask the local health board to review your eligibility for continuing health care, but only for a period of up to 12 months prior to the request. This shows the importance for families of requesting a review of eligibility for continuing healthcare promptly.

For example, if an individual went into a nursing home on 1 November 2016 and on 1 July 2018 the NHS were asked to review that individual’s eligibility for continuing healthcare, there was only a requirement to review the period from 1 July 2017 to 1 July 2018. The period from 1 November 2016 to 1 July 2017 would not be considered.

The assessment by the local health board can take up to a year to complete. It takes into account the applicant’s overall needs and the interaction of those needs. If eligibility is agreed, a care package is put in place within 8 weeks of the decision. (If eligibility is not agreed, there is a right to request a review.) The process for assessment is governed by the guidance and advice for health boards in the Welsh Ministers’ document ‘Continuing NHS Healthcare – The National Framework for Implementation in Wales’ dated June 2014.

Notes

Link to framework document:
gov.wales