What Is NHS Funded Nursing Care and Who Is It For?
NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC), sometimes called the Registered Nursing Care Contribution (RNCC), is a flat-rate weekly payment made by the NHS directly to a registered nursing home to cover the cost of care provided by a registered nurse. The current rate in 2024/25 is £235.88 per week. It is paid to the nursing home, not to the individual, and it reduces the overall fee the resident or local authority has to pay.
FNC applies only to people living in a registered nursing home, a care setting where qualified nurses are on-site around the clock. It does not apply to residential care homes, home care, or hospital inpatients. The key qualifying criterion is that the person has nursing care needs that must be met by, or under the supervision of, a registered nurse.
The Relationship Between FNC and CHC
This is the point that causes the most confusion for families. CHC and FNC are assessed at the same time, using the same form: the NHS Continuing Healthcare Decision Support Tool. A single assessment can produce one of three outcomes: CHC awarded, FNC only, or neither.
If CHC is awarded, the NHS funds all care costs in full. This is the most comprehensive outcome and is intended for people with a primary health need that is ongoing and substantial. FNC does not apply separately because it is subsumed within CHC.
If CHC is not awarded but nursing needs exist, the person should be assessed for FNC within the same process. The NHS then pays the flat-rate FNC contribution directly to the nursing home, and the remaining fees are covered by the individual or the local authority. Many families are not told about FNC when CHC is declined, which is a significant oversight with a real financial impact.
If neither is awarded, the person is self-funding or local authority funded with no NHS contribution. This outcome can be reviewed if the person's needs change or if the original assessment is believed to have been conducted incorrectly.
Why Self-Funders Often Miss FNC
People who are self-funding their nursing home fees sometimes receive no NHS contribution at all, even when they are entitled to FNC. This happens for several reasons: the CHC assessment may never have been carried out, the FNC step may have been skipped when CHC was declined, or the nursing home may be receiving the payment without the family knowing. If your loved one is self-funding in a nursing home and nursing care is part of their daily routine, it is worth checking with the nursing home whether an FNC payment is already in place. If it is not, you have grounds to request an assessment from the Integrated Care Board.
How to Request an FNC Assessment
FNC is not requested separately from CHC. To get an FNC decision, you need to trigger a CHC assessment. The person's GP, hospital consultant, or social worker can make a referral. You can also contact your local Integrated Care Board directly and request an assessment in writing. If the person is being discharged from hospital to a nursing home, the assessment should ideally happen before discharge; this is a legal requirement where there is a reasonable expectation that CHC or FNC may apply.
