Guides to health and care in England

Plain guides to how health and care services in England work and how they are paid for, each built from official NHS, GOV.UK and Care Quality Commission guidance.

Paying for a care homeWho pays for a care home or nursing home in England, the savings limit, and what the NHS can cover. Paying for care at homeHow home care is funded in England: council help, direct payments, paying yourself and NHS funding. Supported living: what it is and who paysWhat supported living is, who it suits and how the care and the rent are paid for. GP surgeries: registering and what it costsHow to register with an NHS GP surgery in England, when a surgery can refuse, and what a GP costs. What a dentist costsNHS dental charge bands in England, who gets free treatment, and what to ask a practice. Hospital care: costs and your rightsWhat NHS and independent hospital care costs, your right to choose, waiting-time standards and help getting there. Using and paying for private healthcareSelf-pay, insurance and NHS-funded treatment at independent providers – and what to check first. Getting and paying for mental health careFree NHS talking therapies you can refer yourself to, private options, and what to do in a crisis. Hospice careWhat hospice care is, where it happens, how to get it and what it costs. What NHS services costWhat is free on the NHS in England and which charges can apply. Using an urgent treatment centreWhat urgent treatment centres treat and when to use one. Getting help for a drug problemYour right to treatment, how to approach a service yourself and what happens first. What CQC ratings meanThe four ratings the Care Quality Commission gives, the five questions it asks, and why some services have no rating.

General guidance for England, not medical, legal or financial advice. Every statement comes from the official page named on each guide.

© 2026 Docorix. All rights reserved. Contains CQC data © Care Quality Commission. Contains Care Inspectorate, Public Health Scotland, Care Inspectorate Wales, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and NHS England Organisation Data Service data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcode and map data: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026; contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; source: Office for National Statistics, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0; map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
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