Overview

The Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Bill aims to improve the safety and quality of health and social care services in England, improve information sharing between providers, and clarify the objectives of regulatory bodies for health and social care professions.

Description

This bill makes several key changes:

• Harm-free care: Amends the 2008 Health and Social Care Act to require the Secretary of State to ensure regulations are in place to prevent avoidable harm in regulated health and social care services. The definition of "avoidable harm" is clarified.
• Continuity of Information: Introduces consistent identifiers (like unique numbers or codes) for individuals using health and social care services to improve information sharing between providers. This must be done in the individual's best interests and with their consent where possible. Data protection laws are still upheld.
• Duty to share information: Requires relevant health and social care commissioners and providers to share information about individuals to facilitate better care, again subject to best interests and data protection laws.
• Objectives of Regulators: Clarifies the overarching objectives of regulatory bodies (e.g., the General Medical Council) for health and social care professions, emphasizing public protection, and setting out specific objectives such as promoting public confidence and maintaining professional standards.

Government Spending

The bill does not specify direct government spending figures. The costs will likely relate to implementing the new regulations and systems required for consistent identifiers and information sharing. Further, there will be indirect costs for healthcare providers to comply with the new requirements.

Groups Affected

• Patients and service users: Potentially benefit from safer services and improved continuity of care through better information sharing. However, there are potential privacy implications.
• Health and social care providers: Will need to adapt their practices to comply with the new regulations concerning harm-free care and information sharing, incurring potential costs.
• Regulatory bodies: Will need to update their practices and guidance to reflect the changes to their objectives.
• Data protection agencies: Will need to monitor the impact of the new information sharing requirements to ensure compliance with data protection laws.

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