NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC) is provided to clients residing in registered nursing homes only. The National Framework states that the local authority cannot provide clinical services because the NHS is responsible for any care that must be provided by a registered nurse. For people in care homes providing registered nursing care, registered nurses are usually employed by the home itself. In order to fund this nursing care the NHS makes a payment to the care home to cover the cost of providing the care for those who are eligible.

Registered nursing care can involve many different aspects of care. Typically, those with a need for registered nursing care will receive some of the following;

• supervision or monitoring of nursing needs
• planning, review or amendment of their care plan
• identification and tackling of potential health problems
• referral to other healthcare professionals (GPs, therapists, etc.)
• monitoring of and support for self-medication
• drug therapies and medication as necessary.

Who is eligible for NHS Funded Nursing Care?

You should be eligible to receive NHS funded nursing care if:

• you have been assessed as requiring the services of a registered nurse
• you do not qualify for NHS Continuing Health Care (CHC) but have been assessed as requiring the services of a registered nurse
• you are not receiving registered nursing care in any other way (e.g. directly from your primary care trust).

A single band is applied for NHS FNC on a monthly basis, the value of which is determined by Department of Health on an annual basis.

Process for NHS Continuing Healthcare and Funded Nursing Care

The assessment of eligibility for NHS funding begins with the National Screening Tool using the Checklist Tool, which can be carried out by any health or social care professional.

If a patient is not eligible they will be passed to Community Care to have their social care needs assessed.

If a patient is eligible a multi disciplinary team should carry out the full eligibility assessment using the Decision Support Tool.