On 27 January 2022, the CQC announced that, following the easing of Covid restriction across the country, it has reviewed and updated its regulatory approach, with the changes to take effect from 1 February 2022. What is changing? The main changes relate to providers of acute hospitals, ambulance services and general practice. In December 2021, …
CQC’s Updated Regulatory Approach – Has Anything Really Changed? Read More »
CQC’s annual report published on 20 January 2022 details that its registration target for the year was to improve the timeliness on all application types. However, its annual report reveals that all application types saw increases in the average time taken to complete since April 2020. CQC state that: a simple application takes an average …
As cases of Omicron rise rapidly around the country, Minister for Care Gillian Keegan announced yesterday (29 December 2021) that the government will provide an extra £60 million to local authorities to support the adult social care response to COVID-19 in January. This is on top of £388 million already being provided to prevent infections …
Government announces extra £60 million for adult social care over January 2022 Read More »
Under its new strategy and its current monitoring approach CQC is clearly and unapologetically focused on risk and not improvement. As a result, at Ridouts, we are seeing clients experience a rise in enforcement action. In recent times we have seen CQC inspect services and inform providers, before they have issued a draft report, that …
The CQC’s focus on ‘Smarter Regulation’ in its new strategy includes a risk-based model of inspection. This model could lead to a much greater focus on GP practices that are perceived as ‘risky’ by the CQC, which could in turn lead to an increase in enforcement action. At Ridouts, we are already seeing an increase …
What happens if the CQC wants to vary a practice’s conditions of registration? Read More »
On 27 May 2021, CQC launched what it described as its “ambitious new strategy” for 2021 onwards. The strategy aims to achieve 12 outcomes across the following four themes: People and communities; Smarter regulation; Safety through learning; and Accelerating improvement From a regulatory perspective, the theme of “Smarter Regulation” will be of particular interest to …
For some time, CQC has been undertaking more activity based on risk and focusing efforts on services where they perceive concerns have arisen, or patient safety is at risk. This is not changing under the CQC’s new strategy. CQC’s business plan for 2020-2023 identifies four business priorities and 10 objectives. One of these is to …
Conditions of Registration – Giving the CQC even more control over your business? Read More »
The CQC has noted an increase in providers using surveillance like CCTV. CQC is considering whether a new approach to assess how surveillance like CCTV is being used, could support providers to use it in a supportive, monitoring approach, for people using the service. CQC seeks views on this as it looks to publish new …
CQC Seeks Views from Providers on Guidance for inspectors on Surveillance Read More »
Earlier this month, the Government announced the publication of new supplementary guidance on visits out of care homes. This supplement to earlier guidance on this topic relaxes rules on self-isolation to enable care home residents in England to have more out-of-home visits. From Tuesday 4 May 2021, all care home residents in England will be …
Visits out of the Care Home – Inconsistencies in Self Isolation Rules Read More »
On 19 March 2021, the UK Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in the case of Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson Blake. The case concerned payment of National Minimum Wage (NMW) for sleep-in shifts. Specifically, the calculation of time spent by care workers for the purposes of the NMW regulations. The central question to …
Ridouts is a team of specialist health and social care lawyers, providing dedicated legal advice for care homes, GP practices, children’s homes, dental practices, domiciliary and home care agencies, supported and independent living services and both private and NHS hospitals.
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