If your relative’s Checklist assessment is successful, they will progress to a Full Assessment using the Decision Support Tool (DST). The Full Assessment should happen within 28 days of the Checklist assessment taking place (although these timescales are rarely met).
The Full Assessment is carried out by a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). This team must consist of at least two people, one Healthcare Professional and one Social Services Professional, but may well include more Healthcare Professionals depending on your relative’s condition. An MDT Co-ordinator will be appointed by the CCG to lead the assessment process.
The Assessors must be properly trained in the NHS National Framework and the assessment process. They should also be knowledgeable about your relative’s health and social needs, and where possible, have recently been involved in their treatment or care.
Your relative will be advised when the assessment is taking place and their advocate should be entitled to attend.
Prior to the Full Assessment, the MDT are required to review all the relevant medical and care notes in relation to your relative’s needs.
The Full Assessment follows a similar process to the Checklist assessment, but uses a Decision Support Tool (DST) instead. The DST has all the same Care Domains as the Checklist, plus one further Domain for “Other” requirements.
Whilst the scoring system isn’t scientific by any means, generally speaking your relative should qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding if they score ‘Priority’ in any of the * domains, or a ‘Severe’ in two or more domains. However, they could still qualify if their scores aren’t as clear cut as this, as it is the totality of their healthcare needs that are being assessed. It is also worth noting that the NHS Guidelines state that if there is any uncertainty or disagreement within the MDT about what score to allocate, then the higher of the scores should be applied. This is important to understand when you are putting your case across.
Once the Full Assessment has been completed, the report is sent to the CCG in your area, who make the final decision on whether your relative qualifies for NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding or not. It is not the MDT who make the decision, although they will make a recommendation. In most cases, it is expected that the CCG will follow the MDT’s recommendations. The CCG will send you a written copy of their Decision with a copy of the DST (and process for appealing).
If you disagree with the CCG’s outcome or the rationale for their Decision to refuse NHS Continuing Healthcare, you have the right to Appeal, and must lodge your written appeal submissions within 6 months of receiving the Decision.
If your relative’s Full Assessment is successful, they will qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding, and it is then the responsibility of the NHS to pay for 100% of their care.
However, your relative should be aware that the NHS will undertake another Full Assessment after three months, and thereafter annually, at which point your relative’s funding may be withdrawn. Your relative will be advised when any further assessments are going to take place, and they (and their advocate) will have to prepare for this reassessment in exactly the same way.
If, following the Full Assessment, your relative agrees that their care needs are not primarily healthcare needs, then they will move from the care of the NHS into the care of the Local Authority/Social Services – which is means-tested.
How to ensure you are properly assessed
You can of course deal with the NHS yourself to ensure that a proper assessment of your relative’s entitlement to NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding is undertaken.
We have produced our Care Funding Guide to help you understand how the process works which you can download for FREE.
Clients often say that these Full Assessment meetings are daunting, intimidating, stressful and emotionally draining, and that the MDT often uses tactics to position what’s being said to their own advantage. Our nationwide team of specialist nurses have years of experience in dealing with MDT Assessments and can provide professional advocacy support – see our Supported Assessment Service. If you need help, get in touch below.
What Our Clients Say About Us
“Please accept my sincere thanks for the help provided by you and Andrew Farley, and particularly that of Charlotte, whose input and support at the assessment meeting was invaluable.” – Pamela S.
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Head Office
1st Floor
1 Universal Square
Devonshire Street North
Manchester
M12 6JH
Tel: 0161 272 5222 / 0800 011 4136
Email: enquiries@farleydwek.com
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