Health needs logged as social care
Daily nursing tasks written up as “personal care” in the care plan, which pushes the domain scores down before anyone reaches an assessment.
We doReview how the care has been recorded.
Specialist NHS Continuing Healthcare support
Worried about paying for care? You may not have to face the CHC process alone.
Clinical insight. Clear guidance. Stronger representation.
Zanith CHC Consultancy works with families through the Continuing Healthcare process — from understanding eligibility, to preparing for an assessment, to challenging a decision that doesn’t reflect the care actually needed.
Takes about three minutes. We aim to respond within one working day and always within five working days.
- No obligation, no pressure
- Registered with the ICO
- Companies House 09115910
Illustrative examples. Outcomes and decision letters vary by case and ICB.
Where you are right now
You may be…
Families come to us at different points. Whichever one sounds closest, we can talk it through with you first.
Getting a clear picture
“We’ve been told Mum doesn’t qualify — but nobody has really assessed her.”
Considering CHC
Not sure whether your loved one’s needs may meet the eligibility criteria? We look at the care records alongside the National Framework so you have a clear picture before anything is submitted.
Stage 1 of 5
Talk it through Building the evidence
“A checklist was done weeks ago. Now we’re just waiting.”
Preparing for an assessment
Want to make sure the evidence properly reflects their day-to-day needs? We help ensure the records going into the Checklist and Decision Support Tool show what the care actually involves.
Stage 2 of 5
Prepare with us Questioning a ‘no’
“The assessment happened. They said no. It didn’t feel right.”
Challenging a decision
Been told they don’t qualify? We can help you understand whether there are grounds to challenge the decision, and support you through Local Resolution.
Stage 3 of 5
Understand your options Beyond the first decision
“We appealed. They turned us down again.”
Taking an appeal further
Need support with Local Resolution or an Independent Review? A local decision is not always the final word, and we can guide you through the stages that follow.
Stage 4 of 5
Take it further Looking back
“We’ve been paying care home fees for years. Should we have been?”
Looking at past care fees
Wondering whether previously paid care fees could be considered retrospectively? Where a period of care was never properly assessed, we can explore whether it may be reviewable.
Stage 5 of 5
Explore a past period None of these quite sound like you? That is the most common answer we hear.
Start an enquiry anywayand we will work out where you stand together.
How a case runs
From first call to decision
A sequence, not a black box. You will know which stage you are at and what happens next.
Free 15-minute consultation
You tell us what’s happening. We’ll give you an honest initial view of whether we think we can help.
We help obtain the relevant records
We identify the evidence needed and, where authorised, help you request the relevant care, GP, hospital and ICB records. Where the person has died, records are requested under the Access to Health Records Act 1990 by their personal representative.
We review the evidence
Each care domain re-examined against the National Framework.
We support and advocate for you
At the multidisciplinary team meeting, during Local Resolution and, where appropriate, at an Independent Review Panel.
Decision and next steps
Explained in plain English — including what to do if the answer still isn’t right.
Not sure where you stand?
Book a free 15-minute consultation. Tell us what’s happening and we’ll help you understand your options.
Book your free consultationNo obligation. No pressure.
How eligibility is decided
Twelve care domains — and what sits behind them
Eligibility is not decided on a diagnosis, and not on savings. It is scored across twelve areas of care need, from No needs up to a ceiling that differs by domain.
But the score is rarely where a case is won or lost. What matters is the evidence sitting behind it — whether the daily records actually show what the care involves, and whether the assessor read them that way. The way evidence is recorded and presented can make a significant difference to how a person’s needs are understood and assessed.
Decision Support Tool · how a case is scoredIllustrative
Mobility
Cognition
Continence
Skin integrity
Breathing
Where the case turns“Cognition” was scored Moderate — but the daily notes described High needs. That gap is where a review begins.
Twelve domains are assessed in full — each with its own ceiling and rules.See the whole method →
What we see most often
Why sound cases get refused
Sometimes, a refusal reflects how needs have been recorded, presented or evidenced — rather than the full picture of day-to-day care.
“They seem settled, so the need must be low”
A need being well managed does not necessarily mean the underlying need disappears. The National Framework requires well-managed needs to be considered when determining eligibility.
We doRaise well-managed needs for consideration, as the National Framework requires.
The records were never obtained
Assessments run on a summary rather than the full picture: no incident logs, no charts, no GP notes, no out-of-hours records.
We doHelp obtain the full record set.
Our promise
We won’t tell you what you want to hear.
We’ll tell you what we believe.
If we don’t believe our involvement is likely to help, we’ll tell you before you commit to paid support. If we think a challenge is unlikely to succeed, we will say so before you decide whether to proceed. The decision always stays yours.
What we don’t do
We are advisers, not solicitors.
Zanith CHC Consultancy provides specialist advisory and advocacy support. We are not solicitors and do not provide legal advice.
Where a matter requires legal advice, we will recommend that you seek advice from an appropriately qualified legal professional.
About Zanith CHC
Clinical insight, applied to a funding decision
Zanith CHC Consultancy was set up to help families navigate a process that is genuinely difficult to navigate alone — so that decisions are made on a full and accurate picture of the care someone needs.
Our background is in frontline healthcare, and our work is in Continuing Healthcare assessments, appeals and retrospective claims.
- Aligned to the National FrameworkEvery assessment, appeal and claim handled against the current guidance, not a house method.
- Experienced healthcare professionalsClinical understanding of what the care domains mean in practice, and what evidence supports them.
- One case, one point of contactYou deal with the person who knows your file, and you are told where it stands.
- Records handled properlyHealth records are held securely and processed under UK GDPR. We are registered with the ICO.
£0Cost of your first 15-minute consultation, with no obligation to go further
1–5 daysWe aim to respond within one working day and always within five working days.
PUPOCPreviously Unassessed Periods of Care. Past periods of care may sometimes be eligible for retrospective review. We will establish whether the relevant rules and evidence apply to your circumstances.
ICORegistered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Health records held under UK GDPR
Timescales vary by ICB. We confirm the deadlines that apply to your case on the first call.
Not sure where you stand?
Book a free 15-minute consultation. Tell us what’s happening and we’ll help you understand your options.
Start with a free consultationNo obligation. No pressure.
Common questions
Answers before you call
What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
A package of care arranged and fully funded by the NHS for people with significant ongoing healthcare needs. It can be provided in a care home, a nursing home or in someone’s own home. Where it applies, it covers the full cost of care — there is nothing to means test.
Who qualifies for CHC funding?
Eligibility rests on whether someone has a “primary health need”, judged on the nature, intensity, complexity and unpredictability of their needs. It is not decided by diagnosis, and it is not affected by savings, income or property.
How does the assessment process work?
It usually starts with a Checklist — a short screening. If that is met, a multidisciplinary team completes the full Decision Support Tool across the twelve care domains and makes a recommendation to the Integrated Care Board, which takes the final decision.
How long does it take?
It varies. A straightforward assessment can take a few weeks; appeals and retrospective claims run longer, largely because of how long it takes to obtain historic records. We give you a realistic timeline for your case, not a best case.
What if funding has already been refused?
You have the right to ask for the decision to be reviewed. That starts with Local Resolution at the ICB and, if it isn’t resolved there, can go to an Independent Review Panel convened by NHS England. There are time limits, so it is worth checking the date on your decision letter.
Can we reclaim care fees we’ve already paid?
Sometimes, yes. Where a period of care was never properly assessed for CHC, it may be possible to have that period reviewed retrospectively. Official guidance covers previously unassessed periods of care from 1 April 2012 onwards. Whether fees may be recoverable depends on the evidence available and the assessment of that period, so we would look at what records still exist before advising either way.
Do I actually need professional help?
You are entitled to do it yourself, and some families do. Where support makes the most difference is in obtaining the full record set, translating day-to-day care into framework language, and holding the line at panel. If we don’t think we’d add value to your case, we’ll say so.
What evidence will you need from us?
Typically care plans, daily notes and charts, risk assessments, GP and hospital records, medication records, and any correspondence with the ICB. We request most of it on your behalf — you don’t need to have it ready to make an enquiry.
What does it cost?
The first 15-minute consultation is free. Beyond that, fees depend on the level of support your case needs. We set them out clearly in writing before any work begins, and there is no obligation to proceed.
Where do you work?
NHS Continuing Healthcare is the system used in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland operate different arrangements. Give us your postcode when you enquire and we will confirm straight away whether we can help.
How is our information kept safe?
Health records are special category data under UK GDPR. We collect only what a case requires, hold it securely, and share it only where you have authorised us to. Zanith CHC Consultancy is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Start your enquiry
Book your free consultation
A few details is enough to begin. We’ll come back to you to arrange your free 15-minute consultation. We aim to respond within one working day and always within five working days.
07963 439275
Prefer to talk? Call us directly, or email enquiries@zanithchc.co.uk