Month: January 2014

Over a period of just five years, the number of frail elderly and disabled people receiving care at home has decreased by a third because councils have had their budgets cut. A study conducted by LSE, analysed NHS figures and has found that there has been a major reduction in elderly and disabled people receiving …

NHS Home Care Cut by One-Third Read More »

The Care Minister, Norman Lamb, has hinted that further changes to the elderly care system may be on the cards in addition to the current sweeping reforms. Charities have warned that as the Care Bill currently stands, hundreds of thousands of elderly frail people deemed not ‘sick enough’ to qualify for care could miss out …

Care Minister hints at further changes to the elderly care system Read More »

Monitor has announced that it is now accepting applications for licences from the independent sector.  From April 2014 Monitor will be required to provide qualifying independent providers with licences to operate.   All independent providers with a turnover from NHS-funded care exceeding £10m and delivering services deemed ‘essential’ by commissioners qualify for such a licence.  This …

Monitor now accepting applications for independent provider licencing Read More »

A consultation covering the revalidation process for nurses and amendments to the Code (a set of professional standards for nurses and midwives) was launched by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) on the 6 January 2014.  The consultation suggests that nurses and midwives will have to confirm to the NMC every three years that they …

Patient feedback planned to feature in Nurses revalidation process Read More »

Results from a BBC Freedom of Information Act request have revealed that nearly 12,000 people in the UK made more than 10 visits to the same A&E unit over 183 separate sites in 2012-13.  Just over 150 of these people had attended more than 50 times. Repeated visits by individuals are contributing to the mounting …

Mounting pressures on A&E units added to by repeated visits Read More »

The Department of Health have commissioned the Royal College of Nursing, supported by an expert reference group, to develop new guidance on the use of restrictive practices for patients in health and adult social care settings.  The aim of the guidance is to reduce the risk and the need for physical interventions.  A draft version …

Consultation on the use of restrictive practices Read More »

In this case the Appellant Ms M, appealed to the Care Standards Tribunal against the CQC’s decision to refuse her application to be the registered manager of a care home. The Law Section 15 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 sets out the criteria for the grant or refusal …

Care Standards Tribunal – MM v CQC [2012] 1978.EA Read More »

Following a consultation on residential care reforms, children placed in residential care will no longer be routinely moved out of their local area. New children’s homes will also be prevented from opening in areas where there are bail hostels, red-light districts or a high number of registered sex offenders. Homes already operating in those areas …

Children in care to stay near home towns Read More »

The former Defence Secretary and Shadow Health Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, has called for the end of ring-fencing that protects NHS finances. He said an obsession with targets and spending was “killing patients” and that there was a “huge amount of waste” in the health service. Dr Fox said that, “I think we’ve tested to …

End to ring-fencing of NHS spending Read More »