CHC respite care: what NHS Continuing Healthcare pays for on a break

What is CHC respite care?

CHC respite care is extra care, paid for by the NHS, so a family carer can take a break. It’s for people who get NHS Continuing Healthcare at home. The care can come to the house, or you can stay elsewhere for a while.

NHS Continuing Healthcare, or CHC, is care that the NHS arranges and pays for in full. It’s for people with complex health needs. It isn’t a benefit you claim, and it depends on your needs, not on a diagnosis.

Does CHC pay for respite?

Yes, the national rules say the NHS should pay for all your assessed care at home. That includes extra support while your carer has a break. The NHS should also make sure your carer knows that help is there.

The NHS body that decides is your integrated care board, or ICB. There’s no national number of days, so how much respite you get depends on your care plan. As one example, NHS Sussex’s 2024 policy offers family carers up to 28 days a year.

For other ways to pay for a break, see our guide to grants, council funding and the NHS.

What can CHC respite look like?

It depends on what suits you and your carer. These are the usual options, though your ICB decides what it offers.

• More care at home, such as extra PA hours or a live-in carer, while your carer goes away.
• A short stay somewhere else, such as a care home, while your carer rests at home.
• A holiday together, with paid care carrying on, so your carer does less of the hands-on help.

What doesn’t CHC pay for on a break?

CHC pays for care, not for the place you stay. The national rules say the NHS isn’t responsible for rent, food or normal bills. So on a holiday, you’ll usually pay for the holiday home, travel and days out yourself.

Local policies spell this out. NHS Sussex, for example, says your usual care carries on while you’re away. The holiday itself, though, comes from your own money, including your PA’s travel, their room and your travel insurance.

Can a personal health budget pay for care on holiday?

Often, yes. Since October 2014, people who get CHC have had a right to a personal health budget. This is the money for your care, and it can pay for care while you’re away if your ICB agrees.

There are three ways to hold a personal health budget:

• The ICB keeps the money and arranges your care.
• Another organisation manages the money for you.
• You take it as a direct payment, choose your own PAs and keep a record of spending.

In Kent, NHS Kent and Medway uses personal health budgets as the usual way to arrange CHC care at home. Wherever you live, the budget can’t pay for things like alcohol, tobacco, gambling or debts.

How do you get CHC?

A nurse, doctor, social worker or other professional starts with a short checklist. If that suggests you might qualify, a team of at least two professionals does a full assessment. The decision should usually come within 28 days.

Once you’re eligible, your care is normally reviewed after three months, and then at least once a year. It’s worth asking about breaks at each review, because your carer’s needs can change too.

What should you ask your CHC team?

Ask about the care, not the holiday. Tell your CHC team where you’d like to go, for how long and what help you’ll need. Then ask what they’ll fund, and get the answer in writing.

• Can my usual care carry on while I’m away?
• Can my carer have a break, and how many days a year does that cover?
• Can my PA or agency come with me, or can I use an agency near where I’m staying?
• Do I need to tell you before I travel, and how far ahead?
• Who do we call out of hours if something changes while we’re away?

Frequently asked questions

Using CHC funding at Restwell

Restwell is a private, adapted bungalow in Whitstable, and some of our guests have their care paid for through CHC. Plenty of guests bring their own PAs or agency staff, and a carer can have the second double bedroom.

Your care team can check the the bungalow’s door widths, bed heights and hoist limits before you book. If you’d like care from our sister company, Continuity of Care Services, they’ll talk through what’s needed.

Continuity will then give you a quote to show your ICB. Read more about how care from Continuity works.