Author and Publication
Author: Ben Slater, Registered Social Worker, Founder and Managing Director of Nellie Supports
Reviewed by: Kerry Slater, Director of Operations
Last reviewed: 20 July 2026
Citation
1. Department of Health and Social Care (2022) National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-framework-for-nhs-continuing-healthcare-and-nhs-funded-nursing-care
2. Department of Health and Social Care (2022) NHS Continuing Healthcare Decision Support Tool.
3. Care Act 2014, c. 23. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/contents
4. Mental Capacity Act 2005, c. 9. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/9/contents
Copywright
Copyright © 2026 Nellie Supports Ltd. All rights reserved.
This article is made available for general information, education and professional reference. It may be downloaded, printed and shared for non-commercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced in full, is not altered in any way, and is properly cited as the work of Nellie Supports Ltd. This material must not be edited, adapted, sold, republished, incorporated into commercial products, or used for commercial training, assessment, report-writing or advisory services without prior written permission from Nellie Supports Ltd.
This article does not constitute legal advice, clinical advice or a substitute for a decision-specific professional assessment. Where legislation, government guidance, court forms or external professional materials are referred to, those materials remain subject to their own copyright, licensing and re-use terms.
Abstract
This guide sets out what to bring to an NHS Continuing Healthcare multidisciplinary assessment. It covers the written summary that carries most weight, the care records worth obtaining in advance, legal authority documents, medication and clinical information, notes on fluctuation and night time needs, and practical points about the meeting itself.
What to bring to a CHC assessment
The assessment covers twelve care domains in a few hours. What you bring, and how it is organised, has more effect on the outcome than anything said in the room.
A written summary, organised by domain
This is the single most useful item. Two to three pages, structured by care domain, stating for each the need, the intervention in place, its frequency and staffing, and what happens without it. Ask for it to be attached to the Decision Support Tool so it becomes evidence rather than recollection. Nothing else you bring will work as hard.
Care records
Obtain copies in advance rather than relying on the team to have them. The most useful are daily notes, care plans, risk assessments, behaviour support plans, repositioning and skin charts, food and fluid charts, medication administration records including as required use and refusals, incident and falls logs, and body maps.
Night records specifically
Night records are frequently held separately from day notes and are the most commonly missing evidence of all. Ask the provider for them by name. Overnight needs, including repositioning, continence, supervision, distress and sleep disturbance, are routinely under-recorded because assessments happen in daytime.
Clinical information
Bring recent letters from the GP, consultants and specialist nurses, speech and language therapy assessments, dietetic input, tissue viability reviews, physiotherapy and occupational therapy assessments, and any cognitive or psychiatric assessments. Letters that describe what the person needs, rather than confirming a diagnosis, are the most useful.
Legal authority documents
If you hold a lasting power of attorney or a deputyship order, bring the documentation. It clarifies who can receive information and correspondence and avoids delay. Where the person may lack capacity to be involved in the process, ask what best interests decision has been recorded and whether an advocate is required.
Notes on fluctuation and the bad days
Assessments capture a moment. Bring a note of how needs vary across a day and across a month, how often the worst days occur, and how much warning there is. That material goes directly to unpredictability, which is one of the four key characteristics and among the most under-evidenced parts of any assessment.
Key takeaway
Bring a domain-structured written summary and ask for it to be attached. Obtain care records in advance, ask for night records by name, bring clinical letters that describe need rather than diagnosis, and bring a note on fluctuation and the bad days.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the single most useful thing to bring?
A two to three page written summary organised by care domain, stating each need, the intervention, its frequency and staffing, and what happens without it. Ask for it to be attached to the Decision Support Tool.
Do I need to bring medical reports?
Bring what you have, but day to day care records usually carry more weight. Clinical letters help most when they describe what the person needs rather than confirming a diagnosis.
Why do night records matter?
They are held separately from day notes and are the most commonly missing evidence. Overnight needs are routinely under-recorded because assessments take place during the day, so ask for them by name.
Related NHS Continuing Healthcare pages
These links take you to the most relevant Nellie Supports service page and to the supporting guides that explain the surrounding process.
Speak to an independent CHC specialist
Nellie Supports prepares independent needs evidence for NHS Continuing Healthcare assessments, reviews and appeals across England and Wales. Our reports are written by registered social workers on a permanent employed team, with internal peer review before release. Call 0333 987 5118 or send an enquiry and we will talk through where you are in the process.