The HSE has explained that its programme of spot checks has been extended to include care homes, ‘a spot check is a phone call to review the measures being taken to minimise spread of coronavirus in the care home and…
On 1 October 2020 The Mental Health (Hospital, Guardianship and Treatment) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 were laid before Parliament. The Explanatory Memorandum to the Regulations confirms that they allow for certain statutory forms used for the exercise of powers of…
On 8 October 2020 the Care Quality Commission (the ‘CQC’) published the revised ‘Registering the Right Support’ guidance which is now called Right support, right care, right culture. This continues to be statutory guidance issued in accordance with s.23 of…
Within a few weeks of the pandemic taking hold in March 2020, concerns were already being voiced in many quarters about the use of “blanket DNACPR” decisions for groups of people, or decisions being made without discussion with residents, families…
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust has been fined £1600, and ordered to pay £10,845.83 in costs and a victim surcharge of £120 following the first prosecution brought by the Care Quality Commission (the ‘CQC’) in respect of a breach of…
New guidance on “Who Pays?” which sets out CCG responsibility for commissioning and/or paying for a person’s care has recently been published by NHS England. It came into force on 1 September 2020. This briefing does not deal with the totality…
In the judgement handed down on 22 September 2020 in the case of the General Medical Council v Dr RH [2020] EWHC 2518 (Admin), Mrs Justice Foster gives guidance to professional regulators as to how sexual misconduct should be charged,…
CQC has announced how it will approach inspections as they resume from September. It aims to contact every social care provider by March. During the period of the pandemic CQC has focused on its Emergency Support Framework (“ESF”). However from September…
Following the suspension of routine inspections as a result of the pandemic, CQC are due to resume these in September (presumably assuming there is no second virus surge of significant proportions). Clearly an obvious area for attention will be infection prevention…
The National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care (NDG) is seeking views on revision and expansion of the seven existing Caldicott Principles in an open consultation which was launched on 25 June 2020. The NDG also proposes use of statutory powers to issue guidance…
