National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (external link)

The NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 was designed to "amend the law about the national health service” and “to make provision in connection with the regulation of health care professions; and for connected purposes".

The Act:

• provided for NHS Foundation Trusts to be established, and for an Independent Regulator (now known as Monitor) to be established for them
• established and made provision in connection with the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
• enabled the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) (legal name for the Healthcare Commission) and the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) to be set up, along with a duty for them to work together when appropriate
• abolished the National Care Standards Commission (only set up in April 2002) and the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI)
• made provision in relation to arrangements for joint working between NHS bodies and the prison service
• imposed a duty on NHS bodies to have arrangements for monitoring and improving the quality of health care
• makes some provision on complaints about the NHS, e.g. giving the Secretary of State power to make relevant regulations and to give the Healthcare Commission (CHAI) and independent panels the powers to consider them
  • making similar provision about complaints about social services and CSCI
  • providing for the Health Service Ombudsman to consider complaints about the handling of complaints by any person or body under the regulations.

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