NHS-Funded Nursing Care: Are You Eligible?
If your loved one is planning on moving into nursing care and has a disability or complex medical condition, they might be eligible for NHS-funded care.
NHS-funded nursing care is a type of care where the NHS contribute a percentage towards your nursing care costs. In this blog, we’ll address some common questions about NHS funded nursing care, including whether or not you may be eligible for this support.
What Is NHS-funded Nursing Care?
When we talk about NHS funded nursing care, what do we really mean? It refers to a process where the NHS will cover some of the costs of certain types of care provided to individuals in nursing and care homes.
People who require nursing care often have complex health conditions and need extra support from qualified nurses. For this reason, nursing care can often be more expensive than residential care home stays due to the additional needs of the individual.
NHS-funded nursing care, then, is only applicable to nursing care costs specifically and is not relevant to other types of care such as non-nursing residential care or convalescent care. This is because funded nursing care covers only the nursing element of care, not the other care home costs.
Funded nursing care is also paid directly from the NHS to the care or nursing home, not to the individual and does not cover other costs of living in a nursing care home such as food and accommodation.
Despite this, NHS-funded nursing care can be a great help to many people across the UK and is worth looking into if your loved one is now, or will be, moving into a care or nursing home and will be requiring nursing care.
How Much Money Does NHS Funded Care Cover?
NHS-funded nursing care is a flat rate for everyone who is approved for this kind of support. It is not means-tested, meaning the amount of funding you receive is not based on a financial assessment.
At the time of writing, the amount is £254.06 per week for the standard rate (From 1 April 2025).
How Do I Know If I’m Eligible For NHS Funded Nursing Care?
You may be eligible for NHS funded nursing care if you are in a care home that provides nursing care; you require a registered nurse (as assessed); and you don’t currently qualify for NHS continuing healthcare (another type of funding support for people with long-term complex health needs).
Once you’ve had your initial care assessment and received your support package, your needs will be re-assessed within the first three months to check that the support you receive is still suitable. This will then continue to be re-assessed once a year.*
How To Apply
Before being assessed for NHS funded nursing care, you should first be considered for NHS continuing healthcare. This assessment is carried out by your local Integrated Care Board and you can be referred for this by your GP, district nurse, social worker, or another healthcare professional, so make sure to speak to someone about this in the first instance.
If you are deemed not to be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare you may be eligible for NHS-funded nursing care, and this will be communicated to you. For more information, visit the NHS website here.
If you’re already a resident in a care home and your health needs change, your GP may refer you for an FNC assessment. Once assessed, if you are found to meet the requirements, you will likely be moved into a nursing home or given specialist nursing care if this is already provided at your care home. Your GP referral, the reasons for the referral and the entire assessment process will be clearly explained and discussed with yourself and your loved ones.
*All information in this blog is correct as of June 2025.
At Caring Homes, our award-winning UK nursing homes speak for themselves. If you’re looking for a care or nursing home for yourself or a loved one, find one of our care homes in your area and get in touch to arrange a viewing. For more information on our nursing care costs and services, get in touch.
