NHS watchdog not ready for new responsibilities, say MPs – The Guardian

Posted March 30th, 2012 in care homes, complaints, health, news, quality assurance, reports by tracey

“England’s NHS regulator should not be allowed to take on new responsibilities planned under the government’s health reforms, according to a damning report by MPs.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Health and Social Care Act 2012 – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 28th, 2012 in health, legislation, social services by sally

Health and Social Care Act 2012 published

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

NHS reforms finally become law – The Independent

Posted March 28th, 2012 in amendments, bills, health, legislation, news by sally

“The Government’s controversial reforms to the NHS became law today [27 March] after a tortuous 14-month passage through Parliament, when the Queen granted Royal Assent to the Health and Social Care Bill.”

Full story

The Independent, 27th March 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The Reform of Clinical Negligence Litigation – Speech by Lord Justice Jackson

Posted March 26th, 2012 in costs, dispute resolution, health, negligence, speeches by sally

The Reform of Clinical Negligence Litigation (PDF)

Speech by Lord Justice Jackson

Clinical Negligence Seminar, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Government must publish NHS risk register, rules tribunal – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 9th, 2012 in bills, freedom of information, health, news, public interest by tracey

“The Government has lost its appeal to keep the NHS risk register from being published, days before MPs get their last chance to debate and vote on its controversial health reforms.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 9th March 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regulation of Health and Social Care Professionals – Law Commission

Posted March 1st, 2012 in consultations, health, Law Commission, regulations, social services by tracey

“The consultation paper makes provisional proposals which seek to simplify and modernise the law and establish a streamlined, transparent and responsive system of regulation of health care professionals, and in England only, the regulation of social workers.”

Full consultation paper

Law Commission, 1st March 2012

Source: http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

Embattled head of care watchdog resigns as inquiry is announced – The Independent

Posted February 24th, 2012 in care homes, community care, health, news by tracey

“Cynthia Bower, chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, announced it was ‘time to move on’ as the Department of Health announced a review of the organisation she heads, which has been beset by low morale, lack of funds and board level disputes.”

Full story

The Independent, 24th February 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Former NHS manager awarded £1m in racial discrimination case – The Guardian

Posted January 10th, 2012 in employment tribunals, health, news, race discrimination by sally

“One of England’s biggest hospital trusts has been accused of ‘institutionalised racism’ after a senior manager it sacked won almost £1m in damages for racial discrimination and unfair dismissal.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Disabled patients dying due to ‘institutional discrimination’ in NHS – Daily Telegraph

“More than 70 disabled patients have died because of mistakes by hospital staff in the past decade, it was claimed. Mencap, a disability charity, described the findings in its report as damning, adding that as a result of ‘institutional discrimination in the NHS’ people were needlessly dying.’ ”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

ICO asks for new audit powers in local Government and public health sectors – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 20th, 2011 in data protection, health, local government, news by tracey

“The Information Commissioner has formally requested new powers to conduct compulsory data protection audits of local Government and public health organisations.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 19th December 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Couple win IVF funding battle with NHS – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 20th, 2011 in assisted reproduction, health, judicial review, news by tracey

“A couple have won a rare victory over a health authority’s strict rules on infertility treatment, in a decision that could give hope to other would-be parents.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 19th December 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Private health insurance market faces investigation – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 8th, 2011 in competition, consumer protection, health, news by tracey

“The Office of Fair Trading has referred the privately funded healthcare industry to the Competition Commission after it found a number of features that prevent, restrict or distort competition in the £5bn UK private healthcare market.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

NHS watchdog told to police IVF clinics despite workload concerns – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2011 in assisted reproduction, health, news by tracey

“The Care Quality Commission has been told to press on with plans to take over the policing of IVF clinics, despite warning that it cannot cope with the extra workload.”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th December 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

NHS watchdog under fire for ‘putting patient care at risk’ – The Guardian

Posted December 2nd, 2011 in health, hospitals, inquiries, news by tracey

“The watchdog responsible for overseeing the NHS has come under fire on multiple fronts, with counsel for the public inquiry into the Mid Staffs hospital scandal calling into question its leadership and ‘unhealthy organisational culture’ while the National Audit Office said its failures had risked ‘unsafe or poor quality (patient) care.’ ”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd December 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

House of Lords will be able to vote on key NHS clause – The Guardian

Posted November 2nd, 2011 in bills, health, ministers' powers and duties, news, private equity, social services by michael

“Peers will be able to vote on the government’s controversial plan to hand over its ‘constitutional responsibility’ to provide NHS services to an unelected quango on Wednesday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Care Quality Commission: MPs criticise health regulator – BBC News

Posted September 14th, 2011 in care homes, health, hospitals, news by tracey

“Patients were put at risk by an unacceptable fall in the number of inspections of hospitals and care homes, MPs say.”

Full story

BBC News, 14th September 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Obese ex-policeman loses attempt to force NHS to pay for gastric bypass – The Guardian

Posted July 27th, 2011 in budgets, health, human rights, medical treatment, news, obesity by tracey

“A 22-stone, ‘morbidly obese’ ex-policeman has lost his latest attempt to force the NHS to pay for stomach surgery, despite his lawyers saying he might have less than a year to live.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th July 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court judge gives brain-damaged sister right to die – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 20th, 2011 in euthanasia, families, health, news by tracey

“A woman today broke down in tears yesterday she asked a High Court judge to allow her brain-damaged sister to die.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 20th July 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regina (Sinclair Collis Ltd and another) v Secretary of State for Health – WLR Daily

Posted June 22nd, 2011 in EC law, health, law reports, proportionality, sale of goods, smoking by sally

Regina (Sinclair Collis Ltd and another) v Secretary of State for Health [2011] EWCA Civ 437; [2011] WLR (D) 200

“The prohibition on the sale of tobacco from automatic vending machines was justified on the ground of the protection of public health, was proportionate and therefore did not violate EU law by its adverse effect on the business of the operators of vending machines and suppliers in other EU states.”

WLR Daily, 17th June 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Please note that once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Drug laws and bans on legal highs ‘do more harm than good’ – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2011 in drug offences, health, news by sally

“The UK’s ‘outdated’ drug laws could be doing more harm than good and are failing to recognise that banning some ‘legal highs’ may have negative consequences for public health, according to the leading independent panel set up to analyse drugs policy.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th May 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk