For journalists and researchers
Press resources.
Ready-to-cite figures and the underlying methodology for the NHS Continuing Healthcare approval-rate data presented on chcfunding.uk. All figures are drawn from NHS England’s published quarterly dataset.
Top-line figures
Headline numbers, 2025-26 Q4
- National average approval rate for standard NHS Continuing Healthcare assessments: 16.7%
- Highest ICB approval rate: 35.4% in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- Lowest ICB approval rate: 2.3% in Gloucestershire
- Ratio between highest and lowest: 15.7x
- ICBs above national average: 18 of 42
- Quarters of data available: 36, from 2017-18 Q1 to 2025-26 Q4
Top 5 ICBs by approval rate
| ICB | Rate |
|---|---|
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | 35.4% |
| Greater Manchester | 27.5% |
| Mid and South Essex | 26.9% |
| North East London | 25.2% |
| Lancashire and South Cumbria | 25.0% |
Bottom 5 ICBs by approval rate
| ICB | Rate |
|---|---|
| Gloucestershire | 2.3% |
| Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin | 5.0% |
| Surrey Heartlands | 5.9% |
| Somerset | 6.5% |
| Frimley | 6.5% |
Source
NHS England quarterly publication
NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care quarterly data, published by NHS England. Data are collected from ICB sub-locations across England. The site rolls sub-ICB returns up to ICB level. The site is refreshed within seven days of each new NHS England release.
Caveats
What raw approval rates can and cannot tell you
Raw approval rates as published are not adjusted for ICB population characteristics. Legitimate factors that vary between ICBs and can affect underlying eligibility rates include age distribution, deprivation, comorbidity prevalence, hospital catchment, and referral practice. Full discussion on the methodology page.
Use of figures
Citation and reproduction
The underlying data is open. Reproduce the figures freely. If you find them useful in your work, a link to chcfunding.uk or to the relevant ICB page is appreciated but not required. For the original NHS England dataset (CSV, ~6 MB, time series Q1 2017-18 to current), see the NHS Digital publication linked above.
Contact
For corrections, comment or interview
Site operated by Digital Signet, a UK software studio. The site has no commercial relationship with NHS England, ICBs, or care providers.