CONSULTATIONS

Consultation on a review of Parental Order Regulations (1st September 2009)
A Parental Order transfers parenthood from the surrogate (and her husband or partner if she has one) to the couple who commission the surrogacy arrangement.

This consultation is on the Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Parental Orders) Regulations. They replace the Parental Orders (Human Fertilisation and Embryology) Regulations 1994 and the Parental Orders (Human Fertilisation and Embryology) (Scotland) Regulations 1994. They will bring the processes for granting Parental Orders more closely into line with updated adoption legislation.

Closing date for comments is 23rd November 2009.
Consultation

Manual for cancer services draft radiotherapy measures (27th August 2009)
A draft version of the radiotherapy measures, for inclusion in the Manual of Cancer Services is being issued for a three-month consultation.

Closing date for comments is 27th November 2009.
Consultation

The framework for responsible officers and their duties relating to the medical profession: a consultation on responsible officer regulations and guidance (25th August 2009)
The Department of Health are consulting on draft regulations and guidance relating to the roles and responsibilities of responsible officers. The draft regulations set out the legal framework for introducing responsible officers. The guidance expands on the regulations and describes the role that responsible officers will play in supporting organisations and doctors, as they strive to improve quality of care.

Closing date for comments is 25th October 2009.
Consultation

Consultation on the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for health and social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance; and Prevention and control of infection in care homes (a supporting guidance document for providers of adult social care) (13th August 2009)
The Department of Health are consulting on two separate, but linked publications:

• a draft 'Health and social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance' and,
• a draft supporting document 'Prevention and control of infection in care homes'

This consultation is required due to changes introduced under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 involving the recent establishment of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the introduction of a new registration framework for all providers of regulated activities in health care and adult social care in England.

Closing date for comments is 6th November 2009.
Consultation

Serious Incident Reporting and Learning Framework (SIRL) (14th August 2009)
The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) is seeking comments from interested organisations and individuals concerning the National Framework for Reporting and Learning from Serious Incidents Requiring Investigation.

This document is the first release of a proposed new National Framework for the management of serious incidents (previously known as Serious Untoward Incidents/ SUIs) occurring in the NHS and those parts of the Independent Sector which provide NHS services in England .

Closing date for comments is 13th November 2009.
Consultation

CONSULTATIONS

Response to consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers and consultation on draft regulations (30th March 2009)
This document serves two main purposes:

• it provides the Government's response to the consultation the Department of Health held during spring 2008: The future regulation of health and adult social care in England: a consultation on the framework for the regulation of health and adult social care, on the new registration framework to be introduced from 2010; and
• it launches a consultation on the wording of the draft Regulations on the scope of registration and the registration requirements that we are planning to set before Parliament this year under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Closing date for comments is 29th May 2009.
Consultation

The regulation of private hearing aid dispensers by the Health Professions Council: a paper for consultation (7th April 2009)
This draft order sets out a proposal to abolish the Hearing Aid Council and transfer its register of hearing aid dispensers to the Health Professions Council Closing date for comments is 7th July 2009.
Consultation

End of life treatment and care: good practice in decision-making. A draft for consultation (27th March 2009)
This consultation, launched by the General Medical Council (GMC), is intended for doctors but may also help patients and the public, and other health and social care staff, to understand what they can expect from doctors involved in caring for patients who are dying. Closing date for comments is 13th July 2009.
Consultation

CONSULTATIONS

Private and voluntary healthcare: Care Standards Act 2000. Regulations and national minimum standards consultation document (18th March 2008)
The Department plans to make major changes to the way that health and adult social care is regulated and performance managed, from a currently planned date of April 2009. The consultation document contains the proposed changes to the regulations governing the proposed changes to the regulations governing the independent healthcare, and contains the proposed changes to the regulations governing the independent healthcare sector and proposed changes to the associated National Minimum Standards (NMS). Closing date for comments is 18th March 2008.
Click here for the Covering letter

Click here for the Consultation Document

Click here for the Removal from Healthcare Commission regulation of private and voluntary healthcare services (Chapter 3 of the Consultation document)

Click here for the Other amendments to the Private and Voluntary Healthcare (Chapter 4 of the Consultation Document)

The future regulation of health and adult social care in England: A consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers (25th March 2008)
This consultation follows on from the previous consultation on the future regulation of health and adult social care (November 2006), and the response to that consultation, which was published in October 2007. Closing date for comments is 17th June 2008.
Click here for the Consultation Document

Click here for the Partial Impact Assessment on Primary Care

Click here for the Health and Social Care Bill Partial Impact Assessment

Click here for the Online Questionnaire

Click here for the Word version of Questionnaire

Competencies for recognising and responding to acutely ill patients in hospital (25th March 2008)
This consultation document includes good practice guidance, prepared by professional experts, on the skills and competencies that should be available to staff who care for, or are likely to encounter acutely ill patients. It will not be mandatory, but is designed to inform and assist Trusts - as well as individual clinicians - with the implementation of the NICE guidelines. Following the Consultation, it is expected that a summary of the responses will be published along with a final version of the Framework. Closing date for comments is 17th June 2008.
Click here for the Consultation Document

Click here for the Equality Impact Assessment

Click here for the Impact Assessment

Click here for the Questionnaire

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

Personal, social, health and economic education: Curriculum reform consultation report (November 2009)
This report is the outcome of the consultation that was held on between 30 April and 24 July 2009. The consultation examined concerns raised by making personal, social, health and economic education statutory. The concerns include pressures on the curriculum, the role of governing bodies and the parental right of withdrawal from sex and relationships education.
Report

The Office of the Health Professions Adjudicator Regulations 2009: consultation response (2nd November 2009)
Response to the consultation on the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Commencement no 11) Order 2009 and the Office of the Health Professions Adjudicator Regulations 2009.
Consultation Response

Response to the consultation on draft regulations for the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers (29th October 2009)
This document provides the response to the consultation on draft Regulations launched in the Response to consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers and consultation on draft Regulations.

The draft Regulations set out who will need to register with the Care Quality Commission (scope of registration) and what they will need to do to register and remain registered (registration requirements).
Consultation Response

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

Performance judgements for adult social services (3rd December 2009)
The Care Quality Commission has praised improvements in adult social care but called for a renewed effort to eliminate poor quality services.
The main findings are:

• 95% of local authorities are performing either excellently or well in their commissioning of adult social care (compared to 87% in the previous year).
• One quarter of councils are rated only adequate in terms of giving people choice and control over their care.
• A third of councils must do more to care for people with dignity and respect.
• 77% of care homes, home care agencies, nursing agencies and shared lives schemes are rated excellent or good (compared to 69% in 2008).
• Around 400 regulated adult social care services are rated as poor and 3,500 as adequate.
• In care homes for older people, a fifth fail to meet the standard on social contact and activities.

Reports

Guidance on meeting new essential standards of quality and safety (8th December 2009)
The Care Quality Commission is today launching guidance for all health and adult social care providers on meeting new essential standards of quality and safety that will apply across the care sector.

Providers must show they are meeting essential standards as part of a new registration system which focuses on people rather than policies, on outcomes rather than systems.
Guidance

Oneplace for an independent overview of local public services (9th December 2009)
A new website for Comprehensive Area Assessment has been launched. Oneplace is for those who pay for local services, those who provide them and those who use them.
Resource

SOCIAL CARE

Common Assessment Framework for Adults Demonstrator Site Programme: overview of Phase 1 sites (20th May 2009)
Care Services Minister Phil Hope announced on 9 February 2009 that nine local authority led partnerships have been selected as phase 1 of the Common Assessment Framework for Adults (CAF) Demonstrator Site Programme.
Report

The new registration system for health and adult social care (15th May 2009)
From April 2010, a new system of regulation for health and adult social care in England comes into force for the NHS.

This will require all providers of certain health and adult social care activities to register with the Care Quality Commission in order to provide services.

The Department of Health is now consulting on the draft regulations. The draft, which is subject to parliamentary approval, will provide the detailed legal basis for the new system together with some associated policy proposals to support the registration framework.
Briefing

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Department of Health autumn performance report 2008 (15th December 2008)
This is the Department’s first report on progress of its Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 Public Service Agreement (PSA) and Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSO) commitments. It also covers, as required by Treasury guidance, reporting progress against our legacy PSA targets which have not been subsumed by more recent PSAs, our value for money target and any outstanding recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee, which holds departments to account for their public spending.
Report

Simplification plan: year three (10th December 2008)
This is the third Department of Health Simplification Plan. It contains measures that demonstrate how the Department of Health, and Arms Length Bodies are reducing the regulation burden on stakeholders. The key areas are the health and adult social care registration system, commitment to 30% reduction in data burden on frontline, and work with the third sector to delivery health and care services.
Document

CONSULTATIONS

The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2010, and, The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Order of Council 2010 - a paper for consultation (4th June 2009)
The draft section 60 Order makes provision in respect of postgraduate medical education and training; the General Practitioner Register and the Specialist Register. The draft Order of Council makes provision in respect of criteria for eligibility for entry onto the General Practitioner and the Specialist Registers; recognised specialist qualifications; acquired rights of general practitioners in the UK; specialties in which Certificates of Completion of Training are awarded and minimum training periods.

This paper considers the assimilation of the statutory functions of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) into the General Medical Council (GMC). Closing date for comments is 28th August 2009.
Consultation

Care Quality Commission: Consultation on new registration standards (1st June 2009)
All regulated health and adult social care providers will be required by law to register with the Care Quality Commission from April 2010. This consultation seeks views on whether the Commission's guidance appropriately reflects the new registration standards and what should rightly be expected of a safe, quality care service. Closing date for comments is 24th August 2009.
Consultation

Reforming the Medical Statement: Consultation (29th May 2009)
This consultation seeks views on the design of the new medical ‘fit note’ that will replace the current ‘sick note’. Closing date for comments is 19th August 2009.
Consultation

INFECTION CONTROL

The Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance (16th December 1998)
The Code of Practice, which comes into force on 1 April 2010 for the NHS and October 2010 for all other registered providers, sets out the criteria against which a registered provider will be assessed by the Care Quality Commission. It also provides guidance on how the provider can meet the registration requirement relating to healthcare associated infections set out in the regulations.
Guidance

MRSA objective for 2010-11 (11th December 2009)
Following a recommendation from the National Quality Board, from April 2010, NHS organisations will be set an objective for reducing MRSA infections, relative to the median, with the best-performers setting their objectives locally.

The MRSA objective reflects a zero tolerance approach to preventable infections and the aim of reducing variation in performance on MRSA bloodstream infections.
Publication

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION

Getting ready for registration (9th November 2009)
Legislation introducing a new registration system for all regulated health and adult social care services in England has now been laid before Parliament. To help care providers get ready for registration, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have published three short guides:

• A guide to the new system of registration
• The scope of registration
• NHS Trusts: how to apply for registration overview

Guides