(2) whether all patients in receipt of NHS continuing care in those strategic health authorities which are operating multiple eligibility criteria will continue to be eligible for NHS continuing care after the SHA in which they are resident has amalgamated the criteria.
All strategic health authorities have recently reviewed their criteria to ensure their legal compliance. Therefore, where a SHA is operating multiple eligibility criteria the existing legal basis for the provision of NHS continuing health care will remain the same regardless of which criteria is used. We would not anticipate a change in an individual's eligibility following the merger of the SHAs as long as their assessed health care needs have not changed.
The public consultation on the national framework for NHS continuing health care closed on 22 September. We have had a large number of responses to the consultation which we are currently collating and analysing. We will publish our response as soon as this process is complete, and it will set out the timetable for implementation of the framework.