18.12.13
Two-thirds of healthcare regulations to be scrapped
Hundreds of health and social care regulations will be scrapped, the government has announced. The proposals cover public health, quality of care, mental health, NHS and professional standards, and seek to remove unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy.
Of 555 regulations currently covering the sector, 128 will be removed and another 252 will be ‘improved’. These include removing rules banning the sale of HIV home-testing kits, a simplification of professional standards regulations, and working with the DCLG to reduce duplication of care home inspections by the CQC and local authorities.
Deprivation of liberty forms will be reviewed and the DH will seek to make paper vouchers for the Healthy Start scheme easier to handle. The changes form part of the government’s wider Red Tape Challenge, which seeks to remove regulation unless there is a good reason to keep them.
Public health minister Jane Ellison said in a ministerial written statement: “Of the 555 regulations considered, the Department is proposing to abolish 128 regulations and improve 252 others. This means that 68% of the regulations under the healthy living and social care theme will either be abolished or improved.”
She added: "The Department is committed to continue to look at how it can minimise burdens on both business and health care professionals. The Department is currently looking at opportunities to reduce burdens for those on the front line of healthcare and is engaging with relevant organisations and health professionals to progress this."
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