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NHS CHC Fast Track Pathway — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

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ModerateEnd of Life CareNHS CHC Fast Track PathwaySCE Palliative Medicine

A palliative care team is implementing NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Fast Track for a dying patient who wishes to be cared for at home. What is the Fast Track pathway?

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Correct answer: B — An expedited CHC funding process for patients with a rapidly deteriorating condition that may be entering a terminal phase—it aims to arrange funding within 48 hours

The correct answer is B. The NHS CHC Fast Track pathway is an accelerated process to access NHS Continuing Healthcare funding for individuals with rapidly deteriorating conditions, who may be entering a terminal phase, enabling care packages—often in the patient’s preferred home setting—to be arranged, typically within 48 hours. It bypasses the standard Checklist and Decision Support Tool assessments. Distractors are incorrect: A refers to emergency triage, C misinterprets it as hospice referral, D confuses it with hospital discharge pathways, and E inaccurately links it to cancer treatment.

Reference: NHS UK patient guide on continuing healthcare (2024); GOV.UK Fast‑track pathway tool guidance (2022), https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/money-work-and-benefits/nhs-continuing-healthcare/