Department of Health and Social Care - Latest Communications
NHS Funded Nursing Care Survey
Dear Residential Nursing Care Providers,
DHSC is currently in the process of setting the 2024-2025 rate for NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC). This is being informed by a one-off cost collection exercise, run via Capacity Tracker. The survey is non-mandatory, but it would be great if as many providers as possible could complete this.
We are writing to you now, to give you advance notice that the survey is expected to go live on Wednesday 25 October and will be open for three weeks.
What is FNC?
Funding is provided by the NHS to residential nursing care providers to support the provision of nursing care. FNC can help manage pressure on acute hospitals and supports system flow by reducing avoidable admissions of individuals with complex discharge needs. It can also relieve pressure on NHS primary care services by enabling nursing care to be delivered within the individual’s residential home. DHSC sets the national FNC rate which dictates the amount the NHS pays care homes delivering FNC. This is paid per resident, per week. Given wider inflationary pressures, we are now conducting a further one-off ‘cost collection exercise’ to ensure that we have the most recent and accurate data available when calculating the national rate. You might recall that we last did this in 2021.
What Information Is Needed To Complete The Survey?
We would like to encourage as many providers as possible to complete this survey. Although it is optional, a greater sample size will mean more reliable results, which is why we would like to encourage you to complete the survey when it launches. When you complete the survey, please ensure that you have data on the number of residents by funding type and payroll information on both pay and hours worked by registered nurses for the two months of April 2023 and September 2023 (or your most recent completed payroll period) to hand.
Once the survey has gone live, you will see a link to it when you log into Capacity Tracker and further communications on how to complete it will be sent shortly. If you have any questions, please contact the DHSC FNC inbox at fnc@dhsc.gov.uk
For those users who update Capacity Tracker via the Provider Bulk Update Template and would like to complete the survey, please contact the Capacity Tracker Support Centre who are available Mon - Fri (excluding Public Holidays) 8am - 5pm by phoning 0191 691 3729 or emailing necsu.capacitytracker@nhs.net
We thank you in advance for your continued support and engagement.
Winter Preparedness and COVID-19 Testing
Dear Providers,
Symptomatic testing for residents eligible for COVID-19 treatments and outbreak testing will continue throughout the winter period as detailed in the IPC guidance. To enable the sector to continue to test during this time with no limitations or delay due to replenishing stock, we are giving you the opportunity to request additional stock of COVID-19 LFD tests. The number of tests available will depend on your total bed capacity as registered with the CQC.
Total Bed Capacity: 10 or less = Total Tests Available: 70 (10 packs of 7)
Total Bed Capacity: 11 or more = Total Tests Available: 497 (71 packs of 7)
You will be able to request your additional stock of COVID-19 tests via the order portal from 20 October to the 3 November.
Navigate to COVID-19 test order portal here.
Enter your UON and press continue.
Select Order LFD tests for winter preparedness.
Check your organisation’s address and press continue.
Enter the total number of LFD tests that you are requesting according to the table above, and press continue.
Confirm your order request.
You will receive an email when your tests have been dispatched, informing you of their delivery date.
Requesting additional stock of LFD tests will not affect any orders waiting to be fulfilled or your ability to order LFD tests should you need them at a later date.
If you have any urgent questions regarding testing within your setting, please contact 119.