NHS Continuing Healthcare Fast Track Guidance 2026: A Nurse’s Perspective | Moore & Tibbits

Having spent many years working on hospital wards, I know the feeling when a patient’s health suddenly deteriorates and it becomes clear they are entering the final stage of their life. At such a difficult time, the last thing anyone wants is for patients and their families to face unnecessary delays or bureaucracy in accessing the care they need.

Even now, working outside the acute sector, I continue to see people in care homes and their own homes being let down because a Fast Track application has not been completed when it should have been. Too often, opportunities to secure the right support at the right time are missed, leaving individuals and families struggling during an already challenging period.

On 20 October 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published updated NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Fast Track guidance and a revised Fast Track Pathway Tool. While the update does not fundamentally change the Fast Track process, what stands out to me is the greater emphasis placed on professional clinical judgement. The guidance is clear that decisions should not be based on rigid timescales or overly narrow interpretations of eligibility.

Importantly, being in the “terminal phase” of life does not mean that death is expected within days. Equally, clinicians cannot always predict a person’s prognosis with certainty. The updated guidance recognises this reality and reinforces the importance of using professional judgement to assess an individual’s needs and likely clinical trajectory.

For me, this update serves as an important reminder that the clinical voice matters. When nurses and other healthcare professionals clearly and honestly describe the full picture of a person’s condition, deterioration, or anticipated decline within a Fast Track application, they help ensure that funding decisions are made promptly and appropriately. Most importantly, it means people can receive the care they need, when they need it, whether that is returning home to be with their family or moving into a 24-hour care setting.

The revised guidance is a welcome step forward in ensuring that individuals approaching the end of life are supported with dignity, compassion, and timely access to care, without unnecessary barriers standing in the way.

Judy Timson