Health and Social Care

18 June 2021

Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccinations for Care Home Workers

This week, the Government announced that Covid-19 vaccinations will be made compulsory for care home staff, raising strong emotions on both sides of the argument.

16 February 2021

Health and Social Care White Paper 2021: Where next for patient safety and professional healthcare regulation?

Last week, the Department of Health and Social Care published a white paper, Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all (the ‘White Paper’), setting out legislative proposals for a new Health and Care Bill, planned to come into force in 2022. 

21 December 2020

Unacceptable Professional Conduct and Conviction cases: avoid the pitfalls of applying the wrong tests to the wrong facts

Wray v General Osteopathic Council [2020] EWHC 3409 (QB)

Mr Wray (‘Mr W’), an osteopath, appeared before a Panel of the Professional Conduct Committee (‘PCC’) of the General Osteopathic Council (‘GOsC’) after self-reporting a series of events he had been involved in.

24 November 2020

Fit and proper person requirements for directors in the health and care sector – what does this mean and what are service providers required to do?

All providers registered with the Care Quality Commission (“CQC) must assure themselves that all directors who are responsible for delivering care to service users are fit and proper – in other words, they must be able to diligently carry out their responsibility to ensure the quality and safety of care. This forms part of the providers’ duty to ensure the service is well-led, which is one of the focus points during an inspection. Not only does the CQC monitor compliance at the point of registration, but it is an on-going duty and can lead to enforcement action where it is not met.

31 March 2020

CQC guidance and what it means for care providers during the Coronavirus pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak is new territory, not only for care providers working on the frontline, but also for regulatory bodies. Those that are responsible for caring for vulnerable service users must now do so in an increasingly challenging environment, whilst ensuring that they comply with their professional obligations.