Free help

You do not have to pay anyone to get through this process. Here is where to find free help. We are not linked to any of these services.

Beacon: free advice funded by NHS England

NHS England pays for a free, independent advice service run by a social enterprise called Beacon.

You can get up to 90 minutes of free advice from a trained adviser. The time can be split across more than one call.

• Phone: 0345 548 0300.
• Website: beaconchc.co.uk

Beacon also sells paid services. It says these are kept separate from the free service.

Age UK Advice Line

Free to call on 0800 678 1602, 8am to 7pm, every day of the year.

Age UK also has a guide to NHS continuing healthcare.

The local ICB's CHC team

The ICB is the NHS body that runs CHC in each area. You can contact its CHC team to ask for a checklist.

Find your ICB on the nhs.uk ICB finder.

Official guides

• The government's plain English leaflet on CHC: public information leaflet. It is also available in other languages.
• An easy read guide.
• The full National Framework.

If you disagree with a decision

There are free routes: local resolution with the ICB, an independent review by NHS England, and then the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. You do not need a lawyer for an independent review panel.

See how CHC works for the steps.