The College worked closely with MPs and Peers
on the Health and Social Care Bill during the 2007/2008
Parliamentary Session. This legislation creates a new
‘super-regulator’ for health and social care called the Care
Quality Commission, through the merger of the Healthcare Commission
(HCC), the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and the
Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC).
We welcomed the creation of a new
‘super-regulator’ for health and social care with greater powers,
but hopes that it is fully resourced to ensure that care is not
only both safe and of good quality, but is protective of the rights
of all patients and other users of services.
Our Parliamentary work
involved briefing Parliamentarians and proposing amendments to
ensure that the important work of the MHAC was continued and
enhanced. This included: unannounced regular and frequent
visiting; monitoring and reporting to Parliament on the needs and
rights of detained patients; and engaging with mental health
service users.
The College also supported the successful Age
Concern led campaign to get the Government to use the legislation
to ensure that Care Homes were brought under the Human Rights
Act.
Although the College amendments were not
accepted by Parliament, they were an important way of ensuring that
strong assurances were made by the Government on our key
priorities. The College will now be working to develop links with
the Care Quality Commission and ensure that the regulation of
mental health guarantees care is not only both safe and of good
quality, but is protective of the rights of all patients and other
users of services.
You can see the stages of the Bill
by clicking
here
Our Parliamentary briefings on the
Bill can be found below:
House of Lords - Grand Committee
stage amendment briefings on:
House of Lords - 2nd Reading
briefing
House of Commons - 2nd Reading
briefing
Queen's Speech top-line
briefing