The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has started to take action against care homes for failure to pay the data protection fee. Notices of their intent to fine the businesses have been sent and those that do not pay could face a maximum fine of £600. The first fines have been sent to more than 100 […]

Yesterday the Prime Minister and Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, uncovered the long-term NHS plan. This is a ten year plan which outlines how the extra £20 billion funding for the NHS will be spent. The plan aims to save 500,000 lives with a focus more on prevention and early detection. Better access […]

According to the Immigration Advice Service (IAA), concerns are growing over how Brexit immigration proposals will hit Britain’s care workforce. It has been predicted that the care sector could be short by 380,000 workers by 2026 if the proposed immigration restrictions go ahead as planned. The latest immigration white paper reveals that EU citizens will […]

Labour’s attempts to get the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill thrown out was defeated yesterday through the greater numbers of Conservative and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) members, which allowed the Bill to pass its second reading in the Commons. It will now be scrutinised in detail by a committee of MPs. Labour attempted to get the […]

According to new immigration proposals, ‘low skilled’ care workers from the EU will lose the automatic right to work in the UK’s care sector post Brexit but they could apply for short-term visas lasting a year. The government White Paper on immigration states:- ‘This route will allow people to come for a maximum of 12 […]

Following the publication of the final report of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, ministers have accepted the reviews recommendations for people to nominate a person to help with care decisions, in place of the ‘nearest relative’, and express advance preferences for treatment that clinicians should usually follow. These will both form […]

The Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) has said a shortfall is due in social care staff due to Brexit and recruitment/pay issues. A drop of nearly 400,000 social care staff is expected. The report highlights the main issues as stemming from underfunding of social care and social care workers being paid less than […]

As part of the £20.5bn funding increase for the NHS, the government has pledged an extra £3.5bn a year in annual funding for primary and community care by 2023/24. The funding will be used to ensure that more patients are cared for at home and in the community, in tern reducing ‘needless’ hospital admissions. Statistics […]

A care provider has been fined £300,000 for failing to protect people in its care from a man with a history of sexual assaults. The provider was required to provide around the clock supervision of the man, because of his history of sexual abuse allegations. The CQC brought the case and the judge found “there […]