2,229
incomplete standard CHC referrals already over 28 days at quarter-end
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Quarterly data tracker · England · 2026/27
NHS Continuing Healthcare statistics 2026/27: quarterly tracker
Latest quarter: Q1 2026/27. This tracker brings together the national NHS Continuing Healthcare figures most useful for understanding assessment timeliness and the changing CHC data landscape. It uses NHS England’s quarterly aggregate collection and keeps the source series separate from the newer All Age Continuing Care Data Set.
Data analysis and legal commentary reviewed 18 September 2026 by Paris Theodorou, Solicitor & Principal · Theodorous · SRA 809508
Latest national picture
Q1 2026/27 at a glance
+107.2%
year-on-year increase from 1,076 in Q1 2025/26
67.4%
of completed standard referrals finished within 28 days: 11,435 of 16,954
−8.1pp
change in the within-28-day completion rate from 75.5% a year earlier
These are national aggregate measures. They do not identify why an individual case took longer, whether a delay was justified, or whether a person was ultimately eligible for CHC.
Quarterly reference
2026/27 tracker
| Quarter | Publication | Incomplete referrals over 28 days | Completed within 28 days | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026/27 | 13 Aug 2026 | 2,229 | 67.4% | Published |
| Q2 2026/27 | 12 Nov 2026 | — | — | Scheduled |
| Q3 2026/27 | 11 Feb 2027 | — | — | Scheduled |
| Q4 2026/27 | 13 May 2027 | — | — | Scheduled · final aggregate collection |
The future dates above are NHS England’s published timetable for the existing quarterly CHC and FNC aggregate collection. Blank cells mean the quarter has not yet been published; they are not zero values.
Age of outstanding referrals
How far beyond 28 days were the Q1 delayed referrals?
531up to 2 further weeks23.8%
392more than 2 to 4 weeks17.6%
1,075more than 4 to 12 weeks48.2%
144more than 12 to 26 weeks6.5%
87more than 26 weeks3.9%
231 referrals — 10.4% of the delayed stock — were already more than 12 weeks beyond the initial 28-day period. These bands measure additional elapsed time after day 28, not total waiting time from the first contact with the NHS.
Care Home Cost Claims calculation
The Q1 backlog was not only larger — more than half was already deep beyond the 28-day benchmark
We combined NHS England’s five published delay bands for the 2,229 incomplete standard CHC referrals that were already over 28 days at the end of Q1 2026/27. This shows the depth of the outstanding backlog, not just its headline size.
1,306
58.6% were more than four further weeks beyond the 28-day benchmark
231
10.4% were more than 12 further weeks beyond the benchmark
87
3.9% were more than 26 further weeks beyond the benchmark
How we calculated it: 1,075 + 144 + 87 = 1,306 referrals more than four weeks beyond day 28. The 231 figure is 144 + 87. Percentages use 2,229 as the Q1 delayed-referral denominator and are rounded to one decimal place.
This is a secondary calculation by Care Home Cost Claims from NHS England’s published Q1 2026/27 banded data. It does not identify why any individual case was delayed, and it should not be read as evidence that every delay was unlawful or clinically unjustified.
NHS England — CHC and FNC source data →What changed year on year?
The backlog grew while the 28-day completion rate fell
At the end of Q1 2025/26, 1,076 incomplete standard referrals were beyond 28 days. At the end of Q1 2026/27 the equivalent figure was 2,229. That is an increase of 1,153 referrals, or 107.2%.
For standard referrals completed during the quarter, the proportion completed within 28 days fell from 75.5% in Q1 2025/26 to 67.4% in Q1 2026/27 — a reduction of 8.1 percentage points.
The two measures describe different populations: one is the stock of incomplete referrals beyond 28 days at quarter-end; the other is the timeliness of referrals completed during the quarter. They should not be added together.
Data-source transition
Why the CHC statistics series changes after 2026/27
NHS England says the long-running CHC and NHS-funded Nursing Care quarterly aggregate collection will be retired at the end of 2026/27, with Q4 2026/27 its final publication. The All Age Continuing Care Data Set (AACCDS) is intended to become the single source thereafter.
During the transition, NHS England intends to publish quarterly AACCDS-based reports alongside the existing collection. It has warned that AACCDS currently has known data-quality and completeness issues, so the two sources may produce different figures even where they report similar measures.
Tracker rule: we label the source series explicitly and do not splice AACCDS figures into the historic aggregate series as though they were automatically comparable.
Methodology and limitations
How to read this tracker
National, not individual
The figures describe England-wide activity. They cannot predict whether a particular person is eligible for CHC or whether an individual decision is correct.
Quarter-end stock is not every wait
The 2,229 figure counts incomplete standard referrals already beyond 28 days at the end of Q1. It is not a count of every referral that exceeded 28 days during the quarter.
Fast Track is separate
The urgent Fast Track pathway is distinct from the standard referral measures used for the 28-day statistics on this page.
No national cause code
The aggregate figures do not establish why a referral was delayed or whether a longer timescale was clinically or administratively justified.
Historic mapping can move slightly
NHS England maps historic figures to current organisational structures where boundaries change, using registered GP populations. Rounding and apportionment can therefore alter historic values slightly.
Rates are rounded
We show percentages to one decimal place. The Q1 2026/27 within-28-day rate is calculated from 11,435 of 16,954 completed standard referrals.
Primary sources
Official data and publication timetable
NHS England — Q1 2026/27 official statistics notice →NHS England — CHC and FNC statistics, time series and transition notice →NHS England Digital — quarterly collection and 2026/27 publication dates →Suggested citation: Care Home Cost Claims, “NHS Continuing Healthcare statistics 2026/27: quarterly tracker”, data analysis reviewed by Paris Theodorou, Solicitor & Principal at Theodorous, updated 18 September 2026.
Related analysis
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