Continuing Health Care - Steene Law Solicitors

“You have succeeded in making what would otherwise have been an awful matter into one that was not only tolerable but actually enjoyable. A rare talent.”

If your relative has a primary health need they may qualify for Continuing Health Care – sometimes also referred to as ‘Continuous’ Health Care (CHC).

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What is free under CHC?

If your relative has been granted CHC, they will not have to pay ANY fees for their care. All costs will be paid for in full, including the ‘social’ elements of their care. This applies regardless of whether they receive care in their own home or in a nursing home.

CHC is not means tested so any savings or property your relative may have, will not be used to pay for care.

How easy is it to get NHS funding?

The CHC postcode lottery means that each local NHS local authority – called a Clinical Commissioning Group – interprets the health assessment guidelines for awarding CHC differently.

If that seems unfair – you’re right, it is!

They are not meant to do this and we can do something about it!

If you think your relative might qualify for CHC, it’s important to get help from an expert who will fight your corner and ensure that the application is dealt with fairly.

It’s best to seek our advice as soon as possible – ideally before the social worker conducts a health assessment.

We can provide straightforward advice and expert support to give you the best chance of succeeding in your application for CHC.

How do I apply for CHC?

Let’s be honest – it is not in the interests of either the NHS or your Local Authority to award anyone CHC. It’s costly and their budgets are constantly under pressure.

Depending on where you live, your Local Authority may try to make it extremely difficult for your relative to qualify for CHC.

The time it takes some CCGs to reach a decision on funding also shocks some relatives. We have heard of a number of cases where relatives are still waiting more than a year after submitting their application.

There is a way of ‘fast-tracking’ the decision, where a person is terminally ill or their condition is rapidly deteriorating. However, the criteria for meeting this also appears to be open to interpretation – which is again completely wrong.

We strongly advise relatives who are about to make an application for CHC to seek legal advice. We can ensure that the health assessment is a true representation of your relative’s health needs so that the application does not fall at the first hurdle.

We can then put pressure on the CCG for regular updates, so that your case does not ‘inadvertently fall to the bottom of the pile!’

I’ve heard that dementia does not qualify for CHC – is this true?

Currently, many people with dementia are denied free CHC – which we believe is a national scandal.

As yet, there is no cure for dementia, but the cost of care for those affected by this disabling disease is not paid for by the NHS.

Dementia is a disease but when it comes to NHS funding, it is not treated equally. In contrast, diabetes, in particular Type 2, which can be linked to lifestyle choices is recognised as a disease and the costs of any complications are covered by the NHS.

However, many people with dementia, who were initially turned down for CHC, go on to develop other health problems so if their condition has changed for the worse recently, you should reapply for CHC.

Contact the team at Steene Law and we can advise you whether a further application is worthwhile.

In the meantime, the issue of dementia not being funded by the NHS continues to make news headlines. The issues has been debated by MPs and campaigners are hoping that the Government will soon have a change of heart, meaning that people with dementia are not treated like second class citizens by the NHS.

For regular updates, please visit out blog page.

What if my relative has been turned down for CHC or had CHC withdrawn?

Sadly, we are not surprised – many people find themselves in this unfair situation.

If your relative has already been turned down for CHC or they’ve been told they no longer qualify, speak to us.

We will look at the facts and tell you straight away whether we think the decision is wrong and should be appealed.

We have successfully fought and won cases of unfair CHC decisions. Recently, we took on a case involving a London Borough which had incorrectly applied the rules relating to CHC and we recovered a six figure sum for the family.

Call our expert team now for a FREE conversation on 0203 653 0623“>0203 653 0623.

Call The Care Fees Specialists Now

Steene Law specialise in Care Home Fees, especially protecting you from having to sell a property to pay for care home fees.

Please do not delay, please call us now 0203 653 0623, email reception@steenelaw.co.uk or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will be delighted to help you.

We are available from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday and will explain your options including how you can fight an unfair LPA challenge.

“I cannot thank David and Dianne enough for the effort and knowledge they displayed helping me deal with my Grandfather’s care and the subsequent legal battle that came with it.

I had a complicated and, to me, bizarre yet worrying situation that David and Dianne both worked tirelessly on.

My Grandfather was a WWII veteran and was neglected and treated as a statistic by a care home and a rather unforgiving council.

I’m grateful that David and Dianne not only got the result I needed, but made it simple to understand and took away a lot of stress. I have recommended them to many others and will continue to do so. Forever grateful!”

C.W

Mike Crawford

16 January 2024

I cannot speak highly enough of the helpfulness, professionalism and most of all the empathy shown by David Steene in my recent correspondence with him. My sincere thanks and I would honestly recommend this Firm to others without hesitation.

Jane James

6 January 2024

I cannot thank Mr. David Steene enough, a wonderful, kind and genuine gentleman who always had time to listen and had great compassion. I had never heard of deliberate deprivation of assets until I was accused of it, by my Local Authority. Brought about when my mother had to go into a care home, she'd had a mild stroke and early onset dementia, aged 92. I knew that this accusation was untrue, it was unkind, extremely stressful and had a huge impact on my family, including my mother. I sought help from Mr. Steene, to prove my innocence and hep my family. I chose his company, as they were experts in this field and already had brilliant reviews. Mr. Steene listened to what I had to say, was interested and asked me appropriate questions. He had so much information and knowledge with regards to Local Authorities and DOA, which he kindly explained to me in understandable words. Mr. Steene advised me what to do and to get back to him if I required further help. The phone call was followed up with a comprehensive E mail. My battle with the Local Authority commenced. After 13 months the accusation of DOA was dropped. I could not have fought this battle without knowing that Me. Steene was always available when I required further help and advice. He always answered me with professionalism. He would have taken on the case if I had failed. Mr. Steene pointed me in the right direction and gave me the encouragement and confidence that I needed. I cannot thank him enough. The receptionists who answered the phone, were always professional and helpful and always took a detailed message to pass on to Mr.Steene. A wonderful team, an efficient, professional company. I highly recommend them. A photo of my mum and my son. We are human beings.

Marcus Mackay

14 December 2023

David and Dianne provided myself and the rest of the family with sound advice in a thoughtful and genuinely caring way. While clearly expert in what he does, talking to David was like dealing with an old friend. In our case, my father had Alzheimer's and we needed to organise care, David and Dianne provided invaluable advice on how to navigate through the UK's dysfunctional NHS and adult "care" system in order to get the best possible support. As a word to the wise, be prepared for a battle and I am sad to say it, do not trust anything the council or NHS workers say, they are under immense pressure to get you to sign documents which will give them control of the situation and their only metric of success is to get hold of your money and have you pay for your care! Clearly looking after my father was our number one priority, but money does matter especially as care costs can easily exceed a thousand pounds a week. This means that the money my father had saved through his long working life was being burned through at a ferocious rate, so slowing down the council was key to ensuring that they couldn't eat into the value of my mother and father's house. It is disgusting that successive governments haven't put a cap on the amount you are expected to pay for care. I have no interest in inheritance, but I don't want my mother to be worried about owing the council money in her final years. So back to David and Dianne, they will both help you in their fields of expertise, but also point you to other aspects of the situation such as legal matters that you may want to consider. In the end, it is all about looking after people when they are at their time of greatest need and against that measure I can't think of a more capable, dedicated and compassionate couple than David and Dianne. This is a picture of my father and mother just as Alzheimers took hold of my father 5 years ago, he died on the 5th of December 2023.

warren appleby

11 December 2023

It was David's advice and knowledge that guided me through the OPG forms. He gave me confidence that I could deal with this on my own! I went on to prove my case with no further action taken! Highly recommend!!

Avis Caddy

3 November 2023

The law around paying care home fees is complicated. We were faced with a Local Authority who refused to give us a property disregard. We called David, and he told us on that first call that we would win, and he would succeed in a care home fees property disregard application. Our Local Authority dug their heels in, and each time they said no, David and Dianne, who are expert solicitors in paying for care fee law, explained why we were right, and why the care fees property disregard applied, and why the Local Authority were wrong. We won! The property was disregarded for care fees. David succeeded in getting the relatives’ property disregard which meant that our family member is secure in their care home, and we will not lose the roof over our heads. David, we can't thank you enough!

Lesley Mckenzie

14 September 2023

Had a particular problem with social services trying to claim a contribution towards my ex-husbands care after separating some 10 years ago but without divorcing. David reassured me that I was not liable so very grateful to him and explained the process going forward. Invaluable help cannot thank him enough

Mike Bravery

17 August 2023

I emailed David Steene late one evening and he kindly called me am the next ...excellent response. David was very professional and my question in his opinion would be better answered by another company. David sent me the appropriate link. He also reassured me that if I needed his expertise he would be very pleased to hear from me. Excellent service thank you David

andrew fry

14 August 2023

David and his wife gave us unprecedented realistic advice and clearly out too help people not take advantage of them. Many Thanks We hope to be in contact again shortly

Jean M Sheaf

7 August 2023

David acted on our behalf to petition our local authority to reconsider their incorrect decision of deprivation of assets, where monies were gifted before care was needed. He was honest, thorough and professional throughout. We would heartily recommend him to fight your case if you have also fallen foul of the system like we did.

Barton Bank

3 August 2023

I have spent over forty years working in law but a care issue arose that was well outside my area of expertise. I emailed Steene Law as they specialise in the area of care law and David Steene responded immediately. He provided excellent and timely advice on a number of occasions and, when a dispute with the local authority over care costs came to a head, one email to the LA from David caused them to immediately back down. I have no doubt that, without his assistance, the LA would have stood their ground. I shudder to think how unrepresented family members are treated by local authorities. If you are ever in a situation concerning care for a loved one do not try and do it yourself. Get a solicitor and, if possible, get this firm.

What Our Clients Say