In recent years, the health and social care system in England has undergone substantial change. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Care Act 2014 have devolved functions and powers away from the Department of Health to local and Arm’s Length Bodies.
In this new system, the Department...More
The Department of Health is seeking views on proposed new statutory guidance to local authorities and NHS organisations.
In line with duties under the Autism Act 2009, and following the publication on 2nd April 2014 of Think Autism the update to the 2010 Adult Autism Strategy, the Department...More
There has been increasing concern that patients may be put at risk of harm through the poor English language skills of a minority of healthcare professionals.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the General Dental Council (GDC), the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and the...More
In February this year the Department of Health published Professor Croisdale-Appleby’s review of the education of social workers with adults: Re-visioning Social Work Education: an independent review.
In his report, Professor Croisdale-Appleby recommended a national and consistent process...More
The Department of Health is consulting on proposals to strengthen the arrangements for controlling the cost of branded medicines to the health service. The aim is to keep the Statutory Pricing Scheme in broad alignment with the voluntary Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme 2014 ...More
In 2010, the Department of Health (DH) conducted a review of its Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) as part of the wider changes envisaged for the NHS and the drive to increase accountability and transparency across Government, while reducing the number and associated costs of public bodies. The...More
We are seeking views on a number of proposals that aim to make the GDC’s early investigation stage fitness to practise processes more effective and efficient, by making amendments to the Dentists Act 1984. This consultation therefore seeks comments and views on the draft Order ‘The General...More
The Care Act 2014 gives CQC the power to carry out performance assessments of providers of Health and Social Care services. These assessments of quality will be summarised in the form of a rating
Ratings will provide patients and service users with a clear statement of the...More
This consultation document sets out proposals for statutory regulation, through the Department's preferred regulator, the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC), of qualified public health specialists[1] working in public health. The Government has subsequently committed to legislate to...More
The Department of Health has developed draft regulations to implement new constitutional requirements for the audit committees (acting as auditor panels) of NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). These are necessary to ensure audit committees are appropriately constituted to advise...More
The NHS Electronic Prescription Service in England enables prescribers (e.g. GPs) to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser (e.g. pharmacist) of the patient’s choice.
Schedules 2 and 3 CDs cannot be prescribed electronically. The aim of this consultation is to get views on...More
The Children and Families Act 2014 gave regulation making powers to the Secretary of State for Health to introduce legislation to end smoking in private vehicles carrying children.
The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on draft regulations for ending smoking in private...More
This consultation sets out the proposed changes to the Mental Health Act 1983: Code of Practice (‘the Code’), which was last revised in 2008. The Code is a document which provides guidance to mental health professionals and others in respect of the Act, to help them safeguard patient’s...More
The purpose of this consultation is to seek the views of interested people, businesses and organisations, with a focus on gaining any additional information relevant to standardised packaging that has arisen since the 2012 consultation.
The consultation includes draft regulations so it is...More
The Mid Staffordshire Inquiry recommended that there should be a statutory duty on healthcare providers to be truthful when providing information. The Care Bill 2014 will make it a criminal offence for a provider to supply or publish false or misleading information.
The offence in the Care...More
This consultation sets out proposals and rationale for amendments to the governing legislative framework (The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001) of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). This governing legislation sets out the NMC's roles, functions and processes. The NMC is the UK regulator for...More
Overview:
On 4 th July 2013, we published the consultation on Strengthening corporate accountability in health and social care , setting out proposals for all directors of providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to meet a new “Fit and Proper Person Test”. The...More
This consultation sets out a proposed addition to the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) registration requirements in order to introduce a statutory Duty of Candour on all providers registered with the CQC.
The introduction of a statutory Duty of Candour is a major step towards implementing a...More
This consultation seeks views on the detailed formulation of a new criminal offence of ill-treatment or wilful neglect of users of health or social care. More
New techniques have been developed that would prevent serious mitochondrial disease being passed from a mother to her children. They involve the use of disease free eggs or embryos from a donor. A change in the law would be needed for these techniques to be used in treatment. Draft regulations...More
This consultation sets out proposed amendments to CQC's registration requirements in order to introduce Fundamental Standards of care.
Our proposals to amend the CQC registration requirements are part of a wide-ranging set of changes designed to improve the regulation of health and social care...More
In 1999 the Department brought in measures to restrict NHS prescribing of a number of ED treatments, including Viagra, because they were considered too costly for routine availability on the NHS. These restrictions mean that only certain men can have ED treatments prescribed on the NHS, for...More
Any independent sector clinic or service wishing to seek approval to perform abortions must agree to comply with a set of Required Standard Operating Procedures (RSOPs).
In July 2012, the Department of Health published Interim Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places which...More
1. The Department of Health has been developing proposals for new constitutional requirements for the audit committees of NHS Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups. These are necessary to ensure audit committees are appropriately constituted to advise their governing...More
The Department of Health has been working with the General Medical Council (GMC) to look at ways to ensure that the language capability of doctors working in the UK is sufficient.
The Department is seeking views on its proposals to amend the Medical Act 1983 to give the GMC more explicit...More
This consultation is on a set of reduced and consolidated regulations relating to ships and aircraft, to provide updated health protection powers and duties for use at England’s ports and airports, replacing the existing ships and aircraft regulations (known as the ’port health‘...More
In February 2013, the Government announced reforms to what and how people pay for their care and support.
We want to give everyone more certainty and peace of mind over the costs of old age, or of living with a disability. We want to end the unfairness of unlimited care costs, and to protect...More
The Mandate to NHS England will be refreshed and published in the Autumn this year for 2014/15. The Mandate sets the Government’s ambitions for the NHS as well as the funding available to achieve and deliver the kind of care people need and expect.
The first Mandate was published in...More