EHCs will be offered to projects1 when they are within 7, 5 and 3 years from expiry. This timing is based on the IPA's PFI Expiry Guidance that expiry preparations should commence at least 7 years before expiry, and then just after key points of 5 years and 3 years to expiry. Whilst the lexicon of "7 Years", "5 Years" and "3 years" is in common use, the planning assumption is that EHCs will be scheduled asset out in the table below.
| Expiry Health Check | Scheduling Window to Expiry |
| "7 Year" EHC | 6¼ to 7 years |
| "5 Year" EHC | 4½ years to 5 years |
| "3 Year" EHC | 2½ years to 3 years |
______________________________________________________________________________________
1 This is limited to all projects where the contracting authority is either a UK Government department (including Arms Length Bodies) or an English local authority, and included in the annual PFI data return. PFI projects managed by devolved administrations or their local authorities are devolved matters and therefore not automatically included.