News

On the 27 June 2012 the Department of Health issued its response to the public consultation on the membership regulations for Healthwatch England and published The Care Quality Commission (Healthwatch England Committee) Regulations 2012. The consultation concerned aspects of the Department’s proposals for the regulations regarding membership, the number of members, the process for appointing …

Department of Health responds to Healthwatch England consultation Read More »

A Freedom of Information Request by a Conservative MP has revealed that in the past 16 months over 4,300 whistleblowers have lodged complaints about the treatment of elderly and disabled people in care. The number of complaints has risen from 22 per month in December 2010 to 556 in March 2012.  Whistle blowing complaints are …

Increase in the number of care home whistleblowers Read More »

A woman with severe anorexia who wanted to be allowed to die is to be force fed in her best interests by order of a High Court judge. Mr Justice Peter Jackson declared that the 32-year-old woman, known as E, did not have the capacity to make decisions for herself. The judge found that although …

Woman with Anorexia to be Force Fed Read More »

CQC have recently published a booklet aimed at helping providers understand how CQC check their services for compliance with the essential standards and how providers can make sure they are prepared for an inspection by CQC, as these are usually unannounced. Below we summarise some of the main points covered in the booklet and outline …

Preparing for the inevitable CQC Inspection Read More »

For the first time, CQC has taken action against a dental practice by using their legal powers to cancel its registration for failing to comply with the essential standards of quality and safety. The reasoning behind this decision was because CQC had three major concerns in relation to the care and welfare of people, cleanliness …

CQC uses powers to close dental clinic Read More »

A study by the OFT has found that the UK dentistry market is not always working in the best interests of patients.  It states that some dentists are misleading their patients about their right to NHS treatment so they will pay for private treatment instead. Both NHS and private dentistry services in the UK were …

OFT calls for urgent reforms in the dentistry market Read More »

A legal challenge has been brought against West Berkshire Council on behalf of five disabled people to challenge the restriction on adult social care to meeting people’s ‘critical’ care needs. The challenge will work as a test case and, if successful, could lead to thousands more elderly and disabled people gaining access to care. The …

Legal Challenge to ‘Critical’ Care Funding Thresho Read More »

According to the Health Minister Simon Burns, hospitals should check for signs of neglect when care home residents are admitted into hospital.  Under a new scheme entitled ‘Present on Admission’ doctors should record the condition of patients when they arrive in hospital. Figures suggest that many patients arrive in hospital with a condition that originated …

Hospitals to Check for Abuse on Admission Read More »

CQC has prosecuted an unregistered provider for the first time under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.  What is significant is the level of fine: guilty pleas in relation to two charges generated a fine of £40,000.  On top of this, the company – Northern Clinic.com which was providing unregulated liposuction out of clinics …

Unregistered clinic fined £40,000 following CQC prosecution. A sign of things to come? Read More »

This week BAPEN (The British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition) published the results of its fourth annual Nutritional Screening Week report.  The survey looks specifically at those on admission to hospitals, care homes and mental health units. The report highlights that while the prevalence of malnutrition has decreased in comparison to previous surveys it …

Malnutrition in the Community Survey Published Read More »