Most people who need help to pay for their care get it from the local authority. However, if someone has a primary healthcare need, the NHS will be responsible for the full cost of their fees in a care home (most often in a nursing home but sometimes in a residential care home) or the cost of their care in the community. Even if someone gets help from the local authority to pay for care in a home that provides nursing care, the NHS will still be responsible for paying for care they receive from a registered nurse (see below). Healthcare in Scotland is covered in Box I.4 , that in Northern Ireland in Box I.5 .

‘NHS continuing healthcare’ means a package of care arranged and funded solely by the NHS for a person aged 18 or over to meet physical or mental health needs that have arisen as the result of illness. Integrated Care Boards (ICB) are responsible for NHS continuing healthcare.

Individuals with compl