NHS-Funded Nursing Care
(FNC)
NHS-Funded Nursing Care is a contribution paid by the NHS towards the nursing care element of care home fees for people who live in a nursing home but do not qualify for full NHS Continuing Healthcare. The standard weekly rate is £235.88 (2025/26). It is paid directly to the care home and is not means-tested. A person can receive FNC alongside local authority funded care or when self-funding.
NHS-Funded Nursing Care applies only to residents in registered nursing homes in England who have been assessed as needing registered nursing care but do not meet the higher threshold for full NHS Continuing Healthcare. The 2025/26 standard rate is £235.88 per week, paid directly to the nursing home by the Integrated Care Board (ICB). FNC is not means-tested and is paid regardless of the resident's financial position. Residents who receive FNC but believe they may qualify for full CHC can request a formal CHC assessment. The FNC rate is reviewed annually each April. In Wales, the equivalent contribution is called the Registered Nursing Care Contribution (RNCC); Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate arrangements. Care homes must not charge residents for the element of their fees that FNC is intended to cover.