The government has moved forward plans to protect the rights of patients to see their friends and family while in hospitals, hospices and care homes.
The news comes after the government published its response to the consultation it launched earlier this year on bolstering the visiting rights of patients.
The consultation proposed that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is given a clearer lens to judge health settings on when it comes to patient visits. In its response to the consultation, the government highlights the “majority” of responses supported the proposals.
This means the Department of Health and Social Care will now work with the CQC to introduce the practice as a new fundamental standard, which will put the new patient visiting rights on equal footing to things like ensuring patients have access to suitable nutrition and qualified staff.
The regulations needed to progress this course of action will be taken forward “as soon as possible” while the government works with the CQC to develop the necessary guidance for the health and social care sector to properly implement and uphold the new standard.
It was a pleasure to go to @NortonHouseCH and talk to residents about the importance of spending time with loved ones.
— Helen Whately (@Helen_Whately) December 5, 2023
Visiting isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a cornerstone of good care and wellbeing.
That’s why we're changing the law to recognise how much visiting matters. pic.twitter.com/AvT6IAQ90x
As well as inpatients, the changes will account for hospital and hospice outpatients in addition to those attending emergency departments and diagnostic services.
Although most settings will be subject to the new legislation, the government has outlined its intention to exclude services for substance misuse and inpatient detoxification or rehabilitation services due to concerns raised during the consultation about increased risk to individuals.
Health and secondary care minister, Andrew Stephenson, said: “Being able to visit a loved one or go with them to an outpatient appointment can make a huge difference and there should be no reason to deny either the visitor or patient the joy or reassurance of that face-to-face connection.”
He continued: “Most settings quickly accommodated visiting again once we came out of the worst of the pandemic, but we need everyone to do so, which is why we’re putting a clear system in place to make sure care homes, hospitals and hospices are giving visiting the importance it deserves.”
Image credit: iStock
