How much does nursing care home cost in the UK?

The national median nursing care home cost in England is £1,239 per week, ranging from £114 to £6,973 depending on local authority. Costs vary by region — London and the South East are typically 10-15% above the national median, while the North East and Yorkshire are 10-15% below. See the full local authority breakdown below.

What's included in the nursing care home cost?

Care home with on-site qualified nurses for residents with complex medical needs — typically 25–40% more expensive than residential care without nursing. The cost typically includes basic accommodation/care, but may exclude additional services like physiotherapy, hairdressing, chiropody, or specialist diet supplements. Always ask the provider for an itemised quote and check what's covered before signing a contract.

Will my local council pay for nursing care home?

Whether the council pays depends on a means-tested financial assessment. In England, if you have capital above £23,250 (savings + home value if going into residential care) you must pay the full cost yourself. Below this threshold, the council contributes on a sliding scale until you reach £14,250 in capital, when they pay the full assessed cost.

Where is nursing care home cheapest in the UK?

Based on the latest NHS England ASC-FR data, the cheapest English local authorities for nursing care home include Redcar and Cleveland (£620/week), Darlington (£782/week), Durham (£783/week), Wirral (£857/week), Bexley (£994/week). See the full ranking below.

How accurate is this data?

This data is sourced from NHS England's Adult Social Care Activity and Finance Report (ASC-FR), the official annual government statistical publication on adult social care unit costs. We refresh the data automatically each year when the new release drops. Per-local-authority figures are real observations, not estimates.

Nursing care home Costs UK 2026

Care home with on-site qualified nurses for residents with complex medical needs — typically 25–40% more expensive than residential care without nursing. The national median is £1,239 per week, ranging from £114 to £6,973 across English local authorities.

National median

£1,239

per week

Cheapest LA

£620

Redcar and Cleveland

Most expensive LA

£2,753

East Riding of Yorkshire

Cheapest local authorities

Local Authority	Unit cost	Compare locally
Redcar and Cleveland	£620 per week	See Redcar and Cleveland →
Darlington	£782 per week	See Darlington →
Durham	£783 per week	See Durham →
Wirral	£857 per week	See Wirral →
Bexley	£994 per week	See Bexley →
Lincolnshire	£998 per week	See Lincolnshire →
Newcastle upon Tyne	£1,007 per week	See Newcastle upon Tyne →
Wolverhampton	£1,015 per week	See Wolverhampton →
Medway	£1,027 per week	See Medway →
Plymouth	£1,049 per week	See Plymouth →
Sheffield	£1,062 per week	See Sheffield →
Merton	£1,079 per week	See Merton →
Birmingham	£1,089 per week	See Birmingham →
Coventry	£1,093 per week	See Coventry →
Westminster	£1,100 per week	See Westminster →

All local authorities

Other care services

Residential care home Residential and nursing care Short-term care