A facility staffed by nurses or midwives 24 hours a day providing services for client/patients requiring residential nursing care. Medical care continues to be the responsibility of the client/patients General Medical Practitioner. The premises may be used for nursing people suffering from sickness, injury or infirmity: pregnant women or women after childbirth: provision for certain services such as endoscopy or premises used for nursing or treatment for mentally disordered patients (mental nursing home).
Exceptionally some patients may remain under the care of a consultant, i.e. consultant episodes (hospital provider) may occur in nursing homes. This is likely to be where the complexity or intensity of their clinical care (whether medical, nursing or other), or the need for frequent not easily predictable interventions, requires the regular supervision of a consultant. A non NHS run nursing home must be registered with a Local Health Board under Section 23 Part II of the Registered Homes Act 1984.