Last week the Department of Health published its response to the consultation on proposals to transfer functions from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Health Research Authority (HRA). The public consultation ran from June to September 2012. Taking into consideration …
The Department of Health have this week published an alert on the use of Window Restrictors. The main issue is that they may be inadequate in preventing a determined effort to force a window open beyond the 100mm restriction. This publication follows an incident whereby a patient died following a fall from a second floor …
Further to our recent Ridout Report for January 2013 covering CQC’s issuing of a penalty notice on a provider in December, it has been revealed that CQC have issued a further two penalty notices on another provider for the amount of £4000 each. As mentioned in the Ridout Report, this was the first time in …
Former care services minister Paul Burstow, says care home providers in England where abuse is carried out should face unlimited fines and criminal sanctions. Mr Burstow says tougher laws are needed to ensure care providers are held criminally accountable for abuse and neglect in their homes. In cases such as at Winterbourne View, he says …
MP Paul Burstow urges Sanctions for Care Home Abuse Read More »
On 10 January 2013, Monitor issued its Draft Risk Assessment Framework for consultation. Given that Monitor will be regulating a wider range of providers of NHS services its current Compliance Framework, which applies only to NHS foundation trusts, is being replaced with what is called the Risk Assessment Framework. Adrian Masters, Managing Director of Sector …
Monitor’s Draft Risk Assessment Framework is issued for consultation Read More »
Private companies providing NHS services could be exempt from paying corporation tax on their profits under proposals being considered by a government-commissioned review of competition in the health service. The NHS’s economic regulator, Monitor states that there is an “unfair playing field” in healthcare. This is because public sector hospitals do not pay corporation tax …
It has recently been revealed in the press that 17 NHS hospitals have been deemed by the CQC to have dangerously low staffing levels. In their latest inspection reports CQC found that all 17 were failing to meet adequate standards of staffing in relation to Outcomes 13 and/or 14 of the Essential Standards which relate …
CQC records many NHS hospitals failing in staffing levels and nutrition Read More »
As readers will know from our previous news articles, the foundation trust regulator known as Monitor is to assume the role of economic regulator for providers of NHS services. In applying this new statutory regime, Monitor will issue licences to providers of NHS services and enforce the license conditions in the event of breach. While …
The High Court has ruled that a woman with severe learning difficulties should be allowed to make her own choice about whether or not to continue with her pregnancy. The decision comes after concerns were raised that she lacked capacity to make the decision. However, the judge said that people who lack mental capacity in …
On 11 September 2012, the Health Select Committee conducted its second accountability hearing with CQC. It has now published its report which finds that CQC still has some way to go in winning the confidence of the public. Some of the key recommendations are set out below: Regulatory approach The Committee stressed the need for …
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