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Newsflash: Digital Health Services and the CQC
Building on the CQC guidance issued in March this year for digital health providers (see http://www.cqc.org.uk/file/1295582) the CQC has issued an update on issues uncovered in a number of recent inspections, particularly in relation to online prescribing.
Newsflash: New competition law requirements for the private healthcare sector including NHS private patient units
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has made an order to implement the “consultant fees remedy” under the Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014 (the Order).
Charities and Social Enterprise Newsbrief: Summer 2017 edition now available
Welcome to the Summer 2017 edition of Hempsons’ Charities and Social Enterprise newsbrief
Health start-ups: Online prescribing is no panacea – the pitfalls and perils of prescribing medication online
This is a particularly complex area so it’s as well to know what is what. Interfaces (such as Amazon, E-bay and Uber) which utilise the internet, SMS and Apps to deliver goods and services, are popular because they save time – and savvy healthcare businesses realise that patients are no different. They view time taken to make doctors’ appointments and queuing at the surgery as wasted time. Such business are capitalising on this perception by creating interfaces which allow patients to obtain prescriptions remotely (on-line, by SMS or App).
Changes to the National Minimum and Living Wage – What are the benefits and consequences?
The National Living Wage was introduced in April 2016, which in effect created a higher minimum wage of £7.20 per hour for workers aged 25 and older. A year on, following further increases to the National Living and Minimum Wages in April 2017, what difference has this increase made to employers and employees?
Dress codes, headscarves and discrimination
The issue of dress codes and religious clothing has featured in the news recently, following the case brought be a Belgian receptionist in Achbita v G4S Secure Solutions. The case was reported as supporting a ban on headscarves, but the actual outcome was slightly more complicated than that.
Day v Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust & Health Education England (2017)
The Court of Appeal has decided that Health Education England may yet be liable for whistleblowing claims brought by junior doctors, in the high profile case of Day v Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust & Health Education England (2017).
Newsflash: Updated GMC Guidance on Confidentiality 2017
On 25 April 2017, the updated GMC Guidance, Confidentiality: Good Practice in Handling Patient Information (“the Guidance”) comes into effect
Health start-ups: Mind your Ts & Cs – the biggest lie on the internet?
Building on the previous articles in this series which look at key legal issues doctors need to consider when starting up a healthcare business, we now turn to the contractual terms and conditions. Now, a number of people have noted that legal terms and conditions on websites and in mobile apps play a key role in what has been called ‘the biggest lie on the internet’.
Newsflash: 2017 General Election – Purdah
The Cabinet Office has published new guidance about maintaining the impartiality of the civil service and public bodies in the period leading up to the 2017 election – often known as purdah.
Dress codes and headscarves
Dress codes and religious clothing have been considered by the European Court of Justice (CJEU) in two cases recently and unfortunately their guidance is not as clear as it could be. The French case of Achbita v G4S Secure Solutions was reported as supporting a ban on headscarves but the actual outcome was slightly more complicated than that. The Belgian case of Bougnaoui v Micropole SA reached a slightly different decision, refusing to uphold a ban, but the case emphasised just how hard it can be to enforce a supposedly neutral dress code.
Trade Union Act 2016 – how will the legislation impact on the healthcare sector?
The Trade Union Act 2016 (“the Act”) results in significant changes to the right to strike and the power of trade unions.
Health start-ups: Get brand protection- key intellectual property rights
It is as true for a business offering healthcare services as it is for any High Street seller of goods that the business’ brand and the goodwill associated with it are valuable assets that are worthy of protection.
Care package retenders: TUPE or not to TUPE?
The Employment Appeal Tribunal examined the transfer of care of an individual (CE) between two service providers to determine whether his carers TUPE transferred. They did not - they were found not to be part of a team whose “principal purpose” was CE’s care. What steps should you be taking in advance of potential transfers?