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This video consists of a series of animated scenes explaining National Health Service Continuing Healthcare, also known as NHS CHC. Over the course of around 9 and a half minutes, the video covers what NHS CHC is, who it is for, and how it is arranged and funded.
The animation style is bright, clean and clear. A range of gentle music tracks underpin the video, while a friendly female voiceover provides narration.
The NHS logo is shown in the middle of the screen against a white background.
The logo fades down and a text title fades up, as the narration begins. The text matches with the voiceover script.
Voiceover: This animation will take you through the National Health Service Continuing Healthcare process, also known as NHS CHC.
What is NHS CHC?
The text fades down and a full-screen title appears, saying ‘What is NHS CHC’ in bold text. This is on a blue background, with some abstract shapes gently floating around it.
This general format is used for section titles throughout the video.
Voiceover: NHS CHC is a package of care, arranged and funded by the NHS
An open box appears, with a label on it saying ‘NHS CHC’. Various blue icons that represent aspects of a care package fly out of the box, as the box rotates gently.
Voiceover: that you may be entitled to receive, due to disability, accident, or illness.
The box closes, jumps and spins around. A range of different characters appear behind the box, representing potential NHS CHC recipients. The characters include a range of ages, ethnicities, and genders.
Voiceover: Eligibility for NHS CHC is not dependent on a particular disease, diagnosis or condition, nor on who provides the care or where that care is provided.
The box continues to rotate while the characters remain in position, looking directly toward the viewer.
Voiceover: It is for a relatively small number of people aged 18 and over with high levels of need (called a primary health need).
The characters transition off-screen. The box jumps up the screen, and 2 new labels appear on different faces of the box. One says ‘18+’ and the other says ‘primary health need’.
Underneath the box, a range of icons showing different ages spans across the screen. A bracket appears underneath these, highlighting icons above a certain age, along with a label saying ‘18+’.
Voiceover: If you are under 18, there is a separate framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care, which is not covered within this video.
The box transitions off-screen. The age demographic icon now highlights the younger icons, with the bracket moving accordingly. The text label for the bracket now says ‘under 18’. A separate text title appears above saying ‘Separate framework for Under 18s’.
Voiceover: How does the NHS CHC process work?
A new section title appears, with the text matching the voiceover.
Voiceover: There are several stages in the NHS CHC process. These are: assessing eligibility, planning your care package and regular reviews.
3 icons appear in a row across the middle of the screen.
The first icon shows a hand filling in a form on a clipboard, with the text title ‘Eligibility’ shown underneath.
The second icon shows a desk calendar flipping through pages, with the title ‘Planning’ shown underneath.
The third icon shows the NHS CHC box icon from earlier in the video, with a magnifying glass scanning over it. The title ‘Review’ is shown underneath.
Voiceover: It is important that at each stage you and your needs are put at the centre of the process.
The icons transition off-screen. We now see a young male patient sat in an armchair, with a neutral expression.
Voiceover: Your local integrated care board, or ICB, is the NHS organisation responsible for arranging for the provision of health services in your area.
The patient disappears, and the text ‘Integrated Care Board’ appears in bold. This then simplifies to just say ‘ICB’.
The ‘ICB’ text moves to the top of the screen, and an organisational hierarchy chart appears underneath, incorporating 9 different individuals from different demographics.
Voiceover: They have a duty to assess and decide if you might be eligible for NHS CHC and, if you are, to then work with you to agree the appropriate care package to meet your assessed needs.
The flow chart fades away, while the icons of the people remain. They form into a circle and start to rotate around the young armchair patient, who has now re-appeared in the centre of the screen.
Voiceover: Stage 1: The NHS CHC checklist
A new section title appears.
Voiceover: The assessment process usually starts with a screening process called the checklist, completed by a trained health or social care professional.
A female healthcare professional is shown filling in a form on a clipboard. The camera pans slowly from left to right.
Voiceover: The checklist covers various aspects of your health and care needs, and helps to show if you require a full assessment for NHS CHC.
The view cuts to an overhead view of the checklist being filled out. We see a hand holding a pen and filling in a few different pages.
Voiceover: The checklist will be offered to a lot of people to see whether they need a full assessment for NHS CHC.
The previous scene animates off. A 7×3 grid of icons showing a wide range of different people appears on screen, representing those being offered the checklist.
Voiceover: It is important to be aware that the majority of people who have a positive checklist,
Each of the person icons transitions into a checklist icon. A text title appears above, saying ‘Positive checklist patients’.
Voiceover: are found not to be eligible for NHS CHC once the full assessment has been done.
Of the 21 checklist icons, 17 fade down while 4 of them grow in size slightly. The text title at the top changes to say ‘Eligible patients’.
The faded icons then disappear completely, while the 4 remaining checklist icons align themselves in a row in the middle of the screen.
Voiceover: If the checklist is negative and you disagree with this you can ask the ICB to reconsider.
The checklists merge into one checklist. A pen appears on the screen and draws a red X across the page, indicating a negative checklist.
Voiceover: Stage 2: NHS CHC full assessment
A new section title appears, with text matching the voiceover.
Voiceover: If the checklist is positive, a multidisciplinary team, or MDT, will then carry out a full assessment.
10 icons showing different healthcare professionals appear on screen, in 2 rows of 5. Above them is the text title ‘Multidisciplinary Team’, with the letters ‘MDT’ being emphasised in line with the voiceover.
Voiceover: The MDT is a team of at least 2 people from different healthcare professions.
Underneath the 2 rows, 2 more icons appear showing different healthcare professionals. One of these is labelled ‘nurse’ and the other is labelled ‘Occupational Therapist’.
Voiceover: or one healthcare professional, and one person responsible for adult social care assessments.
The Occupational Therapist transitions off, and in their place another person appears with the label ‘Social worker’.
Voiceover: Where possible, the MDT should have been involved recently in your assessment, treatment, or care.
The scene scales down into a smaller window, which is now 1 of 4 panels spread around the screen. In each of these panels, an icon shows a patient receiving care.
Panel 1: A healthcare professional is speaking to a patient in a consultation.
Panel 2: A prescription is being handed over in a bag.
Panel 3: A nurse is taking a patient’s blood pressure.
Panel 4: A healthcare professional is handing a tray of food to a patient in a bed.
In the middle of the screen, we see an older gentleman sat in an armchair. He is waving towards the viewer. He is the patient shown in each panel.
Voiceover: The team will talk to you, and if you agree,
Panel 1, showing the healthcare professional talking to the patient, scales up to fill the screen.
Voiceover: other people who support you including a relative, friend or advocate can sit in the assessment with you.
We cut to a new angle of the same scene, looking over the shoulder of the healthcare professional towards the patient. We can now see that the patient is being accompanied by another younger man, who rests his hand on the patient’s shoulder in support.
Voiceover: They will review your medical and care records
A new scene appears, showing a healthcare professional handing a clipboard to another healthcare professional.
Voiceover: and gather information from other professionals and specialists involved in your care. They will consider all aspects of your needs in relation to 12 care domains, for example breathing, mobility and nutrition.
An overhead view of the clipboard appears. It is holding a document entitled ‘Patient Care Record’. A hand holding a pen is shown filling in different boxes with green ticks and red crosses.
Voiceover: You should be invited to attend and participate in the MDT meeting.
A split-screen view appears. On the left side, we see the elderly male patient reading a piece of paper. On the right side, we see a computer screen with an envelope. A cursor clicks on the envelope, which opens and reveals a printed letter, representing an invite to the MDT meeting.
Voiceover: This meeting may happen face-to-face, or virtually. You can discuss with the ICB how the MDT meeting is held.
The right-side screen swipes off, and is replaced by a female healthcare professional, who is now in conversation with the patient. The whole scene then scales down to appear on a computer screen, as part of a gallery view in a virtual meeting. We are looking at the screen over the shoulder of a healthcare professional.
Voiceover: The MDT will complete the decision support tool, or DST. This helps the team decide whether they think you have a primary health need.
The gallery view of the virtual meeting closes down and is replaced on the computer screen by the decision support tool. The healthcare professional is shown scrolling through this and completing various parts.
Voiceover: To guide this decision, the team will look at all your relevant needs in relation to 4 key characteristics: nature, intensity, complexity, and unpredictability.
The full scene animates off. 4 coloured bubbles appear on screen, numbered 1 to 4. Each bubble then has a text heading appear next to it: Nature, Intensity, Complexity, and Unpredictability. These are emphasised in turn as the voiceover mentions them.
Voiceover: The MDT then recommends to the integrated care board whether you are eligible for NHS CHC or not. The ICB should usually accept the MDT’s recommendation.
The 4 coloured bubbles merge together and transition into a new graphic showing 3 ICB members standing together. The man in the middle is holding a piece of paper, representing the MDT recommendation.
Voiceover: The NHS CHC assessment process should, in most cases, take no longer than 28 days.
The ICB members disappear from view and are replaced by a desk calendar, showing a full month. The first 27 days are marked off with a red cross. A green circle then fills in day 28.
Voiceover: If you are eligible for NHS CHC, the NHS becomes responsible for meeting your needs, any support from existing local authority arrangements will draw to a close.
The screen is now filled by 2 panels. The left panel has a red background with the heading ‘NOT Eligible for NHS CHC’. The right panel has a green background with the heading ‘Eligible for NHS CHC’.
The red panel fades and shrinks slightly, so the green panel is emphasised. A bullet point appears underneath the heading. The text aligns with the voiceover script.
Voiceover: If you are not eligible for NHS CHC you can ask your ICB to review its decision. Your ICB should tell you how you can do this. You could be eligible for funded nursing care, provided by the NHS to care homes with nursing. Alternatively, you could be eligible for joint care packages of care, where the NHS may pay for part of the package of support. These are described later on in this video.
The green panel now fades and shrinks, while the red panel grows and becomes bolder.
A series of bullet points appear, supporting the voiceover script.
Voiceover: Stage 3: Planning support
A new section title appears.
Voiceover: If you are eligible for NHS CHC, your local ICB is responsible for planning and sourcing your package of support based on your needs.
The man from the ICB holding the sheet of paper is now shown next to the elderly male patient. The ICB man is talking to him in a friendly manner.
Voiceover: This includes what help you get each day, where that support will be given, and who will deliver it. Your wishes should be at the heart of your care plan and package of support.
The 2 people scale down slightly, and a range of icons representing different aspects of care begin to rotate around them.
Voiceover: You may choose to have a personal health budget. You can find out more about this at www.england.nhs.uk/personalhealthbudgets.
The 2 characters and icons disappear, and a text title aligning with the voiceover appears on screen.
Voiceover: Stage 4: Reviews
A new section title appears.
Voiceover: If you are eligible for NHS CHC, you should have a review within 3 months of the eligibility decision to make sure that you are getting the support you need.
The desk calendar appears again. This time, a page is peeled off and reveals a title saying ‘3-month Review’. A magnifying glass appear and scans over the page.
Voiceover: Further reviews should be undertaken at least once a year and may be more frequent depending on your needs.
Another page is peeled from the calendar, revealing a new title saying ‘Annual Review’. The magnifying glass continues to scan over.
Voiceover: The main focus of these reviews should be on whether the care plan still meets your needs. Sometimes, this may mean that a reassessment of your eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare, with a multidisciplinary team, is required.
The calendar transitions off screen and is replaced by the NHS CHC box. The box opens and different care icons jump out. The magnifying glass scans over each of these in turn, which then fall back in the box. The box seals and transitions off screen.
Voiceover: Fast track pathway tool for NHS CHC
A new section title appears.
Voiceover: The NHS CHC fast track pathway is for people with rapidly deteriorating conditions, who may be entering a terminal phase of their life. They require quicker access to NHS CHC funding. This is instead of the full NHS CHC assessment process.
An elderly woman is shown sat up in a bed.
Voiceover: In these cases, a single referral form, called the NHS CHC fast track pathway tool, is completed by an appropriate clinician to establish your eligibility for NHS CHC, and this is then sent to the ICB.
A new scene appears. We are now looking over the shoulder of a healthcare professional at their computer screen. They click on an icon, which opens the fast track pathway tool. They begin to fill this in.
Voiceover: There are several ways in which care might be provided at the end of your life, which may be appropriate within local health and care systems. Not everyone at the end of their life will be eligible for, or require, NHS CHC.
The scene scales down into a smaller window, which is now 1 of 4 panels spread around the screen. In each of these panels, an icon shows the elderly lady receiving care.
Panel 1: A nurse is taking the patient’s blood pressure.
Panel 2: A healthcare worker is handing a tray of food to the patient in a bed.
Panel 3: The patient is shown in a hoist.
Panel 4: A prescription is shown being handed over to someone.
In the middle of the screen, the elderly lady is sat in a wheelchair.
Voiceover: NHS-funded nursing care (FNC)
A new title appears.
Voiceover: If you are not eligible for NHS Continuing healthcare, you may be eligible for funded nursing care, or FNC.
A checklist icon appears. A pen slides into view and marks it with a red cross, to signify a negative decision.
The checklist then morphs into a new text title, saying ‘Funded Nursing Care’. This then shrinks to say ‘FNC’ in line with the voiceover.
Voiceover: FNC is the funding provided by the NHS to care homes with nursing.
The text title reverts to ‘Funded Nursing Care’ and slides down the screen slightly. Above it, a graphic appears showing the exterior façade of a care home. An NHS logo appears above the care home, with coins dropping into it, representing the funding being provided by the NHS.
Voiceover: This funding is a standard rate contribution to support the provision of your care by a registered nurse if you are assessed as eligible for FNC.
The camera tracks in through a ground floor window of the care home. Inside, we see the elderly male patient from earlier in the video, sat in a bed being tended to by a nurse. A range of care icons appear above them.
Voiceover: Your eligibility for NHS CHC should always be considered before a decision is reached about your need for FNC.
The full scene animates off.
Voiceover: Joint packages of care
A new section title appears.
Voiceover: If you are not eligible for NHS CHC but still have some health needs, then the NHS may still pay for part of your package of support.
A checklist icon appears. A pen slides into view and marks it with a red cross, to signify a negative decision.
The checklist disappears, and we now see an open box similar to the NHS CHC box shown earlier. However, the title on the box now says ‘Package of support’.
The NHS logo appears above the box, with coins dropping into it, representing funding.
Voiceover: This is known as a ‘joint package of care’.
The NHS logo transitions off. The box rotates around to show a face with the title ‘Joint Package of Care’.
Voiceover: One way in which this is provided is through FNC. The NHS might also provide other funding or services to help meet your needs.
A range of care icons appear above the open box, and then fall in. The box then closes, spins and transitions off screen.
Voiceover: Whether or not you are eligible for NHS CHC, you are still entitled to make use of all the other services from the NHS in your area in the same way as any other NHS patient.
A new scene appears. The 2 patients who have featured throughout the video; the elderly male and the female in the wheelchair, are now sat in a GP waiting room. A doctor is stood in a doorway speaking to them.
This scene then transitions off and is replaced by a text title on a white background.
The remainder of the video consists of text titles that match with the spoken narration.
Voiceover: We hope this video has helped you to understand more about NHS CHC and how it works.
If you think that you or a friend or family member should be considered for NHS CHC, speak to your local health or social care professional.
If you would like more information about NHS CHC, you can contact your local ICB’s NHS CHC team or refer to the information available on the NHS website. You can find your local ICB at the website listed on screen now: www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-your-local-integrated-care-board/
You can also request a transcript of this video via email on england.aaccprogramme@nhs.net
You can find further information about NHS CHC on the websites listed on screen now:
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-framework-for-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-framework-for-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care-easy-read
- https://www.england.nhs.uk/healthcare/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/2996/part/6/made
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care-public-information-leaflet/public-information-leaflet-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care–2