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Newsflash: Making Sense of Integrated Care
“Our aim is to use the next several years to make the biggest national move to integrated care of any major western country” (NHS England, 2017)
Is your private practice ready for GDPR?
Is your private practice ready for GDPR? The law will change on 25 May 2018 when the European General Data Protection Regulation will come into effect.
Newsflash: The Next Phase of CQC Regulation
During the summer 2017, the Care Quality Commission (“CQC”) consulted on a number of proposals to develop their regulatory approach in primary medical care and adult social care services. The development in primary care is in response to New Models of Care and large, complex providers.
The ‘right to return’ – where GPs suspend their primary care contracts to participate in an Accountable Care Organisation,...
NHS England consulted in the autumn on changes to regulations to support the introduction of Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs). This included consultation on the ‘right to return’, a mechanism designed to provide assurance to GPs considering integrating their services with an ACO.
Indemnity cover – what you need to know
All doctors and other healthcare professionals should be aware of the need for insurance or indemnity cover, but from time to time I am referred a client who, for one reason or another, doesn’t have cover for a case – be it civil litigation, regulatory (GMC) proceedings or a criminal investigation. This can be a disaster for many reasons.
Revalidation – a trap for the unwary?
All doctors will be aware of the need to revalidate and the GMC’s responsibilities in this regard. Revalidation is the process by which doctors are required to demonstrate that they are up to date and fit to practise. Doctors must revalidate every five years, and in order to do so they must have annual appraisals based on the GMC’s guidance, Good Medical Practice.
Welcome to Hempsons’ Dental Newsbrief
2017 has certainly been a year of mixed fortunes for the UK dental profession. The continuing collateral damage caused by the UDA system in England and Wales has been heightened by the scale of the financial clawbacks from NHS contract holders – these clawbacks have become more frequent, and they are often larger. But the less obvious and more troubling consequence is that this money recovered from dental contract holders is being redeployed elsewhere in the NHS rather than being reinvested in dentistry, and is effectively a cut in dental funding.
The delicate balance – ill health dismissals
Deciding when is appropriate to terminate the employment of an employee who has been long term absent due to ill health is a difficult decision. The Court of Appeal’s decision in O’Brien v Bolton St Catherine’s Academy [2017] EWCA Civ 145 provides some useful guidance on this issue
Leasing premises – do you know what you’re letting yourself in for?
Many dental practitioners struggle with the decision of whether to purchase their practice premises or take a lease from a landlord. A well negotiated lease can leave dentists with a greater degree of flexibility when considering retirement or the sale of their practice.
Selling or buying a dental practice?
Selling or buying a dental practice? At Hempsons, we have a dedicated national team which provides expert advice on the sale and purchase of dental practices.
Is your dental practice ready for GDPR?
The current law governing the use of personal data in the UK is the Data Protection Act 1998 (“DPA”). The law will change on 25 May 2018 when the European General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (“GDPR”) will come into effect.
24 hour NHS retirement – piece of cake, right?
Afraid not! The process for 24 hour retirement from your NHS contract can be complex and will take quite some time. Faisal Dhalla, a partner in the specialist commercial dental team at Hempsons shares his tips and advice for ensuring your 24 hour retirement goes smoothly.
What are your obligations with The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – are you going to be ready?
Certain types of personal data must be treated with particular care due to the sensitive nature of that personal data. This is of course common sense. ‘Health’ comes under what the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) calls the ‘special category’, making it a mandatory obligation to comply with the GDPR and more especially if you work in the health professional field.
Fitness to Practise: An overview of GMC processes and common issues for independent practitioners
Due, in part, to the growing use of social media and media coverage of the healthcare profession, complaints to healthcare regulatory bodies are growing. The way in which these complaints are handled is continually evolving in order to manage the growing number of complaints.