Research Briefing
This note sets out the major reforms to the health service in England under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 including the new arrangements for commissioning services.
Research Briefing
The Immigration Bill would significantly reduce migrants’ rights of appeal; restrict access to services including private rented accommodation, bank accounts and NHS services by reference to immigration status; establish new arrangements for investigating sham marriages and examining persons departing the UK; and make various other changes related to immigration controls.
Research Briefing
This standard note provides background to the House of Commons Opposition-day debate on regional pay in the NHS on 7 November 2012.
Research Briefing
This Note brings together documents relevant to the draft directive on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare (EC Draft 11307/2008).
Research Briefing
In August 2012 UK medicines legislation (including for homeopathy) was consolidated through the Human Medical Regulations. The law was not changed.
Research Briefing
This Private Members' Bill would impose a duty on local authorities to ensure there were sufficient social care services for carers and disabled people, and require health bodies, schools, and further and higher education insitutions to identify carers.
Research Briefing
Under current rules, NHS bodies and GPs’ practices are not prohibited from using non-geographic phone numbers, such as 0845 numbers, although the Department of Health has issued guidance about their use.
Research Briefing
This note provides a summary of the key amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill made during the House of Lords Committee and Report stages.
Research Briefing
On 21 June 2011 the House agreed a motion re-committing certain clauses of the Health and Social Care Bill to the Public Bill Committee that had previously considered the Bill. The Committee met between 28 June and 14 July 2011 and agreed a number of Government amendments, introduced in response to the recommendations the ‘NHS Future Forum’. Key changes are intended to clarify the Secretary of State for Health’s overall responsibility for the NHS, to ensure good governance for the new groups that will be responsible for commissioning NHS-funded services, to strengthen duties to involve the public and health professionals in decision making, and to amend duties in relation to the role of competition and integration in the health service. The Bill is due to have its Report stage and Third Reading on 6 and 7 September 2011.
Research Briefing
In 1990 a new tax relief for private medical insurance, paid for those aged 60 and over, was introduced. In 1997 the then Labour Government abolished this relief on the grounds of cost, and the view that it had failed to encourage take-up. This note discusses the short life of this tax relief, and recent debate as to whether it should be reintroduced.
Research Briefing
This note covers the current policies on healthcare services for ex-service personnel, including priority access to NHS services and the provision of dedicated mental health services for veterans. The note also provides a list of useful links and contacts.
Research Briefing
In the UK expenditure on health comes largely from public funds, with 82.6% of total expenditure on health coming from public expenditure. This is the fifth highest proportion among OECD countries and is similar to other northern European countries. In the United States less than half of total health expenditure comes from public funds.
Research Briefing
This note sets out the definition and causes of obesity, the health problems caused by obesity, recent government policy on the issue and related statistics.
Research Briefing
The Health and Social Care Bill had its Second Reading in the Commons on 31 January 2011. The Bill was considered in Public Bill Committee in 28 sittings, between 8 February and 31 March 2011. A large number of Government amendments were made, mainly minor and technical changes, although significant alterations were made to clauses 103 and 104 in Part 3 of the Bill, to prevent competition on price. No Opposition amendments were agreed. This Paper summarises the Commons Second Reading debate and Committee stages and supplements the House of Commons Library Research Paper Health and Social Care Bill (RP 11/11), which was produced for the Bill’s Second Reading.
Research Briefing
This briefing on the Health and Social Care Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons on 31 January 2011. The Bill is intended to give effect to the reforms requiring primary legislation that were proposed in the NHS White Paper Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS. This White Paper set out the Government’s aims to reduce central control of the NHS, to engage doctors in the commissioning of health services, and to give patients greater choice.
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