Continuing Care is a way of funding health care packages for babies, children and young people (from birth to 18 years old) with complex healthcare needs whose needs cannot be met by existing mainstream or specialist health services. These complex needs may be as a result of disability, accident or illness.
Children and Young People are assessed using the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care (DOH 2016). This framework is designed to support Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in determining if a child’s needs are such that they can only be met through a package of continuing care.
The framework also sets out an equitable, transparent and timely process for assessing, deciding and agreeing these bespoke packages of care.
Each care package will be commissioned to meet the individual needs of each child/young person and their family and can involve health education and social care.