On 28 May 2020, the Royal College of General Practitioners (“RCGP”) responded to the NHS Digital Workforce figures which highlighted that there was still a GP workforce crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Commenting on the figures, Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the RCGP’s said, “It’s very concerning to see the number of full-time equivalent GPs …
This article considers what will happen in the health and social care sector in terms of regulation and litigation beyond the Covid-19 crisis. CQC’s Emergency Support Framework As providers will know, CQC have paused routine inspections and introduced the Emergency Support Framework (“ESF”). CQC’s position is that the ESF is a flexible and supportive process, …
Beyond Covid-19: the legal landscape in the health and social care sector Read More »
Government guidance on Coronavirus changes frequently and it is important to ensure that your policies are up to date and in line with the latest guidance. The guidance should be considered in the context of your own service and your policies should be flexible, reviewed and updated regularly. I have referred to eight examples of …
Policies to introduce in light of Coronavirus guidance Read More »
The Department of Health and Social Care guidance “Coronavirus (COVID-19): changes to the Care Act 2014” was first published on 31 March 2020 and has now been updated. A copy can be accessed here. From 20 May 2020, the changes made to the guidance reflects the fact that local MPs have been added to the …
Updates to the “Coronavirus (COVID-19): changes to the Care Act 2014” guidance Read More »
CQC published its first ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19) insight report’ on 19 May 2020. The purpose of the report is to draw attention to COVID-19 related pressures facing the health and social care sector. CQC intends the first insight report to be a regular serious of insight documents. The report draws on information gathered through direct feedback from …
CQC’s first ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19) insight report’ published Read More »
The Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) conducted a ‘Care Homes Market Study’ in 2018 and found that many service users and those acting on their behalf found it difficult to complain to care homes and regarded the complaints processes as unclear, complicated and confusing. As a result of this study, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute …
This article is written for healthcare providers in their capacity as employers and it will consider employer duties in relation to work related incidents and the reporting of Covid-19 to the Health and Safety Executive (“HSE”). In the context of Covid-19, employers must only make a report under RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and …
What healthcare providers need to know about reporting of Covid-19 under RIDDOR Read More »
The charity, Skills for Care, has issued guidance for adult social care providers in relation to staff training during the COVID-19 outbreak. It is stated on the Skills for Care website that: “During this period, we remind you to stop face to face training and to use digital solutions only.” Skills for Care acknowledges the …
Skills for Care issues guidance regarding staff training during the COVID-19 outbreak Read More »
Further to my last update regarding inquests, the Chief Coroner for England and Wales has issued further guidance in relation to the COVID-19 situation. This article summarises the main points from the guidance. Chief Coroner Guidance No.34 (dated 26 March 2020) This guidance note acknowledges that the COVID-19 emergency presents a number of challenges for …
On 11 September 2019, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) published its joint whistleblowing disclosures report with other professional regulators to show what action regulators have taken and how they work together in relation to whistleblowing disclosures. When talking about the ‘Whistleblowers disclosure report 2019’, Matthew McClelland, Director of Fitness to Practise at the NMC …
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