Introduction

The NHS Continuing Healthcare Data Set is transmitted at aggregate level to the NHS England Strategic Data Collection Service (SDCS) with publication outputs available on the NHS England website at: NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care. 

The Department of Health and Social Care introduced the National framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care in 2007 to establish a consistent and standardised guide to implementing the delivery of NHS Continuing Healthcare (NHS CHC). This was last revised in March 2018 and replaces the previous 2012 version. The National Framework sets out NHS Continuing Healthcare and assessment processes. The latest version places a strong focus on moving assessments outside of an acute setting.

NHS Continuing Healthcare is a package of ongoing care that is 100% funded solely by the NHS where the PERSON has been found to have a ‘primary health need’ as set out in the National framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS funded nursing care. Such care is provided to a PERSON aged 18 or over, to meet needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident or illness.

In order to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the Framework, a mandatory collection requires the submission of quarterly figures on NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care activity.

The collection includes

• PERSONS aged 18 or over eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare as defined by the National framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care. 
• PERSONS still recognised as eligible under the former Strategic Health Authorities' eligibility criteria.
• PERSONS identified as eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare following assessment of eligibility for Previously Unassessed Period of Care (PUPoC). This includes Previously Unassessed Periods of Care related to the ‘closedown’ announcement made by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2012 in which deadlines were introduced for requesting assessments of eligibility for past periods of care falling between 1st April 2004 and 31st March 2012. This also includes non-closedown Previously Unassessed Periods of Care relating to assessments of eligibility for past periods of care falling after 31st March 2012.

The collection excludes:

• PERSONS funded through other NHS funding streams which are not NHS Continuing Healthcare or NHS-funded Nursing Care
  PERSONS funded under any section of the Mental Health Act. The exception to this is if an individual is funded under a Mental Health Section and eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare under the National Framework eligibility criteria. In these instances the activity related to the NHS Continuing Healthcare package is still included but any activity covered by the Mental Health section should be excluded
• Interim Cases - PERSONS receiving temporary NHS Continuing Healthcare funding pending eligibility decision or PERSONS who have ceased being eligible but are still being funded
• PERSONS under 18 years of age. NHS Continuing Healthcare packages are funded for individuals aged 18 and over only therefore only individuals aged 18 years or over are included in this return.

For further information on the NHS Continuing Healthcare Data Set, see the Department of Health and Social Care part of the gov.uk website at: National framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care.

Mandation

The Mandation column indicates the recommendation for the inclusion of data.

• M = Mandatory: this data element is mandatory and the technical process (e.g. submission of the data set, production of output etc) cannot be completed without this data element being present
• R = Required: NHS business processes cannot be delivered without this data element.