Consultation opens on legal right to visit family and friends in hospital
The Government is consulting on its plans to make visiting a legal requirement for hospitals, care homes, mental health units and other health and care setting.
There are currently a number of existing guidance , legislation and policies to help with visits to care settings. These include:
- Guidance for care homes
- Guidance for hospitals
- Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulations
- Other legislation
The Government are proposing to use the CQC regulations as a vehicle for maintaining standards. They will introduce a secondary legislation referring to visits as part of existing fundamental standard of 'person centred care' or 'dignity and respect' or introducing visiting as a new fundamental standard.
We believe that visits from loved ones are vital to the health and wellbeing of people receiving care in care homes, hospitals and hospices so please take some time to complete the online survey.
The consultation period will run until 11:59pm 16 August 2023.
