Articles in ‘Health and Social Care’ Category

The government has published its white paper outlining proposed reform of the NHS and social care.

A poll by social care experts RWK Goodman reports that almost three quarters (73%) of social care providers would like to make a Covid vaccination a condition of employment for new members of staff. That condition would include exceptions for those who can’t have the vaccine on medical or other protected grounds.

A Care Quality Commission consultation on a new regime of regulating care providers will close on 23 March. It proposes a radical reform of care home assessments, including the prospect of changes to ratings without inspections.

Our recent poll found that whilst 53% of care providers had over 80% of staff vaccinated against Covid-19, 20% are operating with more than 40% of their workforce unvaccinated. In the vast majority of cases, this was due to workers being unwilling or unable to have the vaccine.

At the start of the year, CQC launched a consultation, entitled “Consultation on changes for flexible regulation”, which is focused on health and social care providers. So what are the implications?

In one of the most eagerly awaited judgments for the care sector, the Supreme Court has confirmed that it will hand down its decision in Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake (the “Mencap case”) on Friday 19 March 2021.

The Supreme Court today (19 March 2021) gave care providers a lifeline, saying that they do not have to pay staff the National Minimum Wage when working ‘sleep-in’ shifts.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published its response to the Government consultation on making vaccines mandatory in care homes.

The Department of Health and Social Care is set to give social care providers just 16 weeks to vaccinate all staff. If confirmed, all unvaccinated staff will have to be redeployed from frontline roles or face losing their job.

The Department of Health and Social Care has given social care providers 16 weeks to vaccinate all staff. All unvaccinated staff will have to be redeployed from frontline roles or face losing their job.

Draft Regulations have been published requiring care home staff to be vaccinated. The Regulations will need to be approved by Parliament before becoming law, which is expected to happen in July, followed by a 16 week grace period for staff to be vaccinated after the law comes into effect.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have been considering current and future plans for regulation, data and technology.