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Consultations

The future regulation of health and adult social care in England

Launch date:

27 November 2006
Closing date:

28 February 2007
Creator/s:

Department of Health
Audience:

Health and social care professionals
Copyright holder:

Crown
Gateway number:

7377

This document builds upon 'Health reform in England: update and commissioning framework' published in July 2006 and 'Health reform in England: update and next steps'. It is part of the on-going health reform programme and focuses on the development of a regulatory framework that will support health reform to achieve safety, quality, fairness and efficiency for patients and service users across the health and adult social care system.

The publication confirms the commitment to merge the three organisations responsible for regulating healthcare, adult social care and the operation of the Mental Health Act. It outlines the benefits for patients and service users and aims to give some clarity about how the organisation's roles will develop and how the transition will be managed until the new organisation is established.

This document sets out the likely roles and functions of the new regulator and provides a clearer and refocused approach to regulation set within wider context of the health reform programme.

The publication will be of interest to anyone working in health and adult social care and to patients and service users who are interested in how the reforms are going to improve the services they use.

Linked to the consultation on the regulatory framework for health and adult social care is a second consultation document, The code of practice for the promotion of NHS services, which sets out a self regulatory code of practice within which providers may wish to consider promoting their services.