Speak to a CHC Specialist
If a Decision Support Tool assessment has been scheduled, our DST Attendance & Representation service provides professional support to ensure the individual’s health needs are clearly presented during the meeting.
Contact us to discuss your situation and understand the next steps.
Evidence Preparation Before the DST Meeting
Effective representation at a DST meeting requires the available evidence to be structured and clearly mapped to the DST domains.
For this reason, our DST Attendance & Representation service requires a completed One-Stop Evidence Pack before the meeting takes place.
The One-Stop Evidence Pack brings together the key documentation relevant to the CHC assessment, including:
• care home and nursing records
• GP and hospital documentation
• risk assessments and incident reports
• medication and symptom management records
• professional care needs assessment
• structured DST evidence mapping
This structured preparation allows the person’s needs to be presented clearly and consistently during the DST discussion.
You can learn more about the evidence preparation process here:
➡ One-Stop Evidence Pack
DST Attendance & Representation
Fixed Fee: £2,000
This service includes:
✔ Review of the completed One-Stop Evidence Pack
✔ Preparation for the Decision Support Tool assessment meeting
✔ Attendance at the multidisciplinary DST meeting
✔ Professional representation during the assessment discussion
✔ Clarification of DST scoring and domain considerations
✔ Guidance following the assessment outcome
Our role is to ensure the individual’s needs are clearly presented and properly considered during the assessment process.
What Happens During a DST Assessment
During the DST meeting, the multidisciplinary team reviews the person’s health needs across a number of care domains.
These commonly include:
• behaviour
• cognition
• psychological and emotional needs
• communication
• mobility
• nutrition
• continence
• skin integrity
• breathing
• medication and symptom control
Each domain is scored according to the severity and complexity of needs.
The overall picture is then considered against the Primary Health Need test, which determines whether responsibility for funding care rests with the NHS.
You can learn more about how this assessment works here:
When Families Request DST Representation
Families often seek professional representation when:
• a DST meeting has been scheduled
• a relative’s health needs appear significant
• they want professional support during the assessment process
• the CHC process has been complex or unclear
• they want to ensure the available evidence is properly considered
Having professional representation can help ensure the assessment is structured, clear and fully evidenced.
If CHC Funding Is Refused
If the outcome of the DST assessment is that the person does not meet the eligibility threshold for NHS Continuing Healthcare, families may still have the right to challenge the decision.
This may involve:
• Local Resolution review
• Independent Review Panel (IRP)
• Retrospective CHC funding claims
You can learn more about retrospective cases and appeals here:
Should You Even Pursue a CHC Assessment?
Many families contact us because they believe their relative may qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, but they are unsure whether pursuing an assessment is realistically worthwhile. This is a common concern.
The CHC process can be complex and time-consuming, and families understandably want to know whether the available evidence is likely to support eligibility before committing significant time or resources.
A DST Viability Review helps answer this question by examining the available records and identifying whether the evidence appears consistent with the Decision Support Tool framework used by the NHS.
You may wish to request a viability review if:
• a Checklist has been completed and passed, but the next stage is unclear
• professionals have suggested CHC may be unlikely
• the available care records appear significant but the outcome is uncertain
• you want an independent view before attending a DST assessment
• you want to understand whether the evidence supports the Primary Health Need test
Our review provides a structured professional opinion on whether pursuing a Decision Support Tool assessment may be viable based on the available documentation.
DST Attendance & Representation
Professional Representation at an NHS Continuing Healthcare Decision Support Tool Assessment
When a person progresses to a Decision Support Tool (DST) assessment, a multidisciplinary meeting is arranged to examine the individual’s health needs and determine whether they meet the eligibility threshold for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding.
This meeting is often the most important stage of the CHC assessment process.
During the meeting, professionals review the available evidence and score multiple domains of need before making a recommendation to the Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Many families attend these meetings without a clear understanding of:
• how the DST scoring system works
• how health needs should be presented
• how domain scores influence the final recommendation
• how the Primary Health Need test is applied
Our DST Attendance & Representation service provides professional support during this stage to ensure the person’s health needs are clearly presented and properly considered.