Health and Social Care Act 2012
| Jurisdiction | England & Wales |
| Citation | 2012 c. 7 |
Health and Social Care Act 2012
2012 CHAPTER 7
An Act to establish and make provision about a National Health Service Commissioning Board and clinical commissioning groups and to make other provision about the National Health Service in England; to make provision about public health in the United Kingdom; to make provision about regulating health and adult social care services; to make provision about public involvement in health and social care matters, scrutiny of health matters by local authorities and co-operation between local authorities and commissioners of health care services; to make provision about regulating health and social care workers; to establish and make provision about a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; to establish and make provision about a Health and Social Care Information Centre and to make other provision about information relating to health or social care matters; to abolish certain public bodies involved in health or social care; to make other provision about health care; and for connected purposes.
[27th March 2012]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-
PART 1
The health service in England
The health service: overview
1 Secretary of State's duty to promote comprehensive health service
For section 1 of the National Health Service Act 2006 (Secretary of State's duty to promote health service) substitute-
"1 Secretary of State's duty to promote comprehensive health service
(a) in the physical and mental health of the people of England, and
(b) in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental illness.
(2) For that purpose, the Secretary of State must exercise the functions conferred by this Act so as to secure that services are provided in accordance with this Act.
(3) The Secretary of State retains ministerial responsibility to Parliament for the provision of the health service in England.
(4) The services provided as part of the health service in England must be free of charge except in so far as the making and recovery of charges is expressly provided for by or under any enactment, whenever passed."
2 The Secretary of State's duty as to improvement in quality of services
After section 1 of the National Health Service Act 2006 insert-
"1A Duty as to improvement in quality of services
(a) the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness, or
(b) the protection or improvement of public health.
(2) In discharging the duty under subsection (1) the Secretary of State must, in particular, act with a view to securing continuous improvement in the outcomes that are achieved from the provision of the services.
(a) the effectiveness of the services,
(b) the safety of the services, and
(c) the quality of the experience undergone by patients.
(4) In discharging the duty under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must have regard to the quality standards prepared by NICE under section 234 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012."
3 The Secretary of State's duty as to the NHS Constitution
After section 1A of the National Health Service Act 2006 insert-
"1B Duty as to the NHS Constitution
(1) In exercising functions in relation to the health service, the Secretary of State must have regard to the NHS Constitution.
(2) In this Act, "NHS Constitution" has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Health Act 2009 (see section 1 of that Act)."
4 The Secretary of State's duty as to reducing inequalities
After section 1B of the National Health Service Act 2006 insert-
"1C Duty as to reducing inequalities
In exercising functions in relation to the health service, the Secretary of State must have regard to the need to reduce inequalities between the people of England with respect to the benefits that they can obtain from the health service."
5 The Secretary of State's duty as to promoting autonomy
After section 1C of the National Health Service Act 2006 insert-
"1D Duty as to promoting autonomy
(a) that any other person exercising functions in relation to the health service or providing services for its purposes is free to exercise those functions or provide those services in the manner that it considers most appropriate, and
(b) that unnecessary burdens are not imposed on any such person.
(2) If, in the case of any exercise of functions, the Secretary of State considers that there is a conflict between the matters mentioned in subsection (1) and the discharge by the Secretary of State of the duties under section 1, the Secretary of State must give priority to the duties under that section."
6 The Secretary of State's duty as to research
After section 1D of the National Health Service Act 2006 insert-
"1E Duty as to research
In exercising functions in relation to the health service, the Secretary of State must promote-
(a) research on matters relevant to the health service, and
(b) the use in the health service of evidence obtained from research."
7 The Secretary of State's duty as to education and training
After section 1E of the National Health Service Act 2006 insert-
"1F Duty as to education and training
(1) The Secretary of State must exercise the functions of the Secretary of State under any relevant enactment so as to secure that there is an effective system for the planning and delivery of education and training to persons who are employed, or who are considering becoming employed, in an activity which involves or is connected with the provision of services as part of the health service in England.
(2) Any arrangements made with a person under this Act for the provision of services as part of that health service must include arrangements for securing that the person co-operates with the Secretary of State in the discharge of the duty under subsection (1) (or, where a Special Health Authority is discharging that duty by virtue of a direction under section 7, with the Special Health Authority).
(a) section 63 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968,
(b) this Act,
(c) the Health and Social Care Act 2008,
(d) the Health Act 2009, and
(e) the Health and Social Care Act 2012."
8 Secretary of State's duty as to reporting on and reviewing treatment of providers
After section 1F of the National Health Service Act 2006 insert-
"1G Secretary of State's duty as to reporting on and reviewing treatment of providers
(1) The Secretary of State must, within one year of the passing of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, lay a report before Parliament on the treatment of NHS health care providers as respects any matter, including taxation, which might affect their ability to provide health care services for the purposes of the NHS or the reward available to them for doing so.
(2) The report must include recommendations as to how any differences in the treatment of NHS health care providers identified in the report could be addressed.
(3) The Secretary of State must keep under review the treatment of NHS health care providers as respects any such matter as is mentioned in subsection (1).
(a) "NHS health care providers" means persons providing or intending to provide health care services for the purposes of the NHS, and
(b) "health care services for the purposes of the NHS" has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012."
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