Home/ICBs/Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB.

Ranks 26th of 42 English ICBs by CHC approval rate in 2025-26 Q4.

Approval rate

13.7%

of standard assessments

Vs national

82%

National is 16.7%

Rank

26/42

40th percentile

YoY trend

-0.5pp

vs 2024-25 Q4

In context

Approval rate 82% of the national average.

Of the standard NHS Continuing Healthcare assessments completed by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB in 2025-26 Q4, 13.7% were judged eligible. The national figure across all 42 ICBs was 16.7%.

Highest approval rate among the 42 ICBs: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough at 35.4%. Lowest: Gloucestershire at 2.3%.

Per 50,000 adult residents, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire found 50.1 people eligible for CHC this quarter. Adult population: 0.90M.

Variation between ICBs has several legitimate explanations including differences in age profile, deprivation, and comorbidity. See methodology for what raw rates can and cannot tell you.

Trend

Approval rate over time

QuarterApproval rateEligibleTotal assessments
2025-26 Q413.7%7871115
2025-26 Q317.1%663896
2025-26 Q211.4%610850
2025-26 Q111.2%612865
2024-25 Q414.2%678866
2024-25 Q316.6%599800
2024-25 Q217.3%635817
2024-25 Q115.7%632831
2023-24 Q415.2%650895
2023-24 Q317.3%668883
2023-24 Q210.5%609847
2023-24 Q115.2%639845

Eligibility criteria

The 12 Decision Support Tool domains

Reference page covering the twelve clinical domains used in the formal assessment, the level scale within each, and how the National Framework weighs them.

View the 12 domains

After a not-eligible decision

Options if the assessment finds someone not eligible

Reference page on the appeal route, self-funding from savings and property, and equity release as alternatives. Includes pointer to Beacon CHC, the NHS-funded free advice service.

See the options