All Age Continuing Care Directions 2024

The purpose of these Directions is to:

Establish an All Age Continuing Care (AACC) information system to collect and analyse data regarding the end-to-end commissioning of AACC services. This includes the initial checklist through to assessment, and the commissioning and monitoring of individual care packages, regular and ad-hoc care package and eligibility reviews, and eligibility disputes (referred to as the AACC data set). 

Develop the AACC data set as a patient-level data set to cover all aspects of AACC, where AACC refers to the following commissioned services, as described in the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care and the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care

• NHS continuing healthcare
• NHS-funded nursing care
• jointly funded health and social care packages
• children and young people's continuing care 

Replace the NHS Continuing Health Care Data Set (“CHC Data Set”) collected under the NHS Continuing Healthcare Directions 2022¹ which was based upon the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care and which applied to persons aged 18 or over only with the AACC data set which is to be expanded to include the data of patients under the age of 18 who are receiving continuing care under the National Framework for Children and Young People's Continuing Care.

Identify, through the AACC data set where patients are being placed out of area, where care packages are being changed frequently, and other evidence that may indicate poor outcomes for the patient that can be identified and addressed.

Monitor patients going through local appeals processes to ensure appeals are resolved in a timely manner, and that the rate of overturned or accepted appeals is within a typical range.

Allow linkage of the AACC data set at patient-level to other data sets, so that increased/reduced hospital admissions, medication and other important attributes are visible.

These Directions are given in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 254(1),  and 304(9) to (12) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (the 2012 Act) and sections 13ZC and 272(7) and (8) of the National Health Service Act 2006 (the 2006 Act).   

These Directions come into force on the data after the day on which they are signed.