Part 2 U.K.Standards

Chapter 3E+WNHS health care: functions of CHAI

SupplementaryE+W

F159CriteriaE+W

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F160Provision of materialE+W

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F161Co-operation between CHAI and the regulatorE+W

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F162FeesE+W

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F163Fees: WalesE+W

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F164Reports and informationE+W

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F165Co-operation between CHAI and the Audit CommissionE+W

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66Right of entryE+W

(1)A person authorised to do so by the CHAI may, if the CHAI considers it necessary or expedient for the purposes of this Chapter, at any reasonable time enter and inspect—

(a)any premises owned or controlled by an NHS body;

(b)any other premises used, or proposed to be used, for any purpose connected with—

(i)the provision of health care by or for an NHS body, or

(ii)the discharge of any of the functions of an NHS body.

(2)A person who proposes to exercise any power of entry or inspection conferred by this section must if so required produce some duly authenticated document showing his authority to exercise the power.

67Right of entry: supplementaryE+W

(1)A person authorised by virtue of section 66 to enter and inspect premises may, if he considers it necessary or expedient for the purposes of this Chapter—

(a)inspect, take copies of and remove from the premises any documents or records (including personal records);

(b)inspect any other item and remove it from the premises;

(c)interview in private—

(i)any person working at the premises;

(ii)any person receiving health care there who consents to be interviewed; and

(d)make any other examination into the state and management of the premises and treatment of persons receiving health care there.

(2)The power in subsection (1)(a) includes—

(a)power to require any person holding or accountable for documents or records kept on the premises to produce them; and

(b)in relation to records which are kept by means of a computer, power to require the records to be produced in a form in which they are legible and can be taken away.

(3)A person authorised by virtue of subsection (1)(a) to inspect any records is entitled to have access to, and to check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been in use in connection with the records in question.

(4)A person authorised by virtue of section 66 to enter and inspect any premises may—

(a)require any person to afford him such facilities and assistance with respect to matters within the person’s control as are necessary to enable him to exercise his powers under section 66 or this section; and

(b)take such measurements and photographs and make such recordings as he considers necessary to enable him to exercise those powers.

(5)Any person who without reasonable excuse—

(a)obstructs the exercise of any power conferred by section 66 or this section, or

(b)fails to comply with any requirement of section 66 or this section,

is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

68Power to require documents and information etcE+W

(1)The CHAI may at any time require any person specified in subsection (2) to provide it with any information, documents, records (including personal records) or other items—

(a)which relates or relate to—

(i)the provision of health care by or for an NHS body, or

(ii)the discharge of any of the functions of an NHS body; and

(b)which the CHAI considers it necessary or expedient to have for the purposes of this Chapter.

(2)The persons referred to in subsection (1) are—

(a)the NHS body;

(b)any person providing health care for, or exercising functions of, the NHS body;

(c)a local authority.

(3)The power in subsection (1) to require the provision of records includes, in relation to records kept by means of a computer, power to require the provision of the records in legible form.

(4)Any person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with any requirement imposed by virtue of this section is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

69Power to require explanationE+W

(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision requiring prescribed persons to provide to the CHAI, or to persons authorised by it, an explanation of—

(a)any documents, records or items inspected, copied or provided under sections 66 to 68,

(b)any information provided under those sections, or

(c)any matters which are the subject of the exercise of any functions of the CHAI under this Chapter,

in circumstances where the CHAI considers the explanation necessary or expedient for the purposes of this Chapter.

(2)Regulations under subsection (1) may require explanations to be provided at such times and places as may be specified by the CHAI.

(3)Any person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with any requirement imposed by virtue of this section is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

[F269AProvision of information by Auditor General for WalesE+W

The Auditor General for Wales must, on request, provide the CHAI with any information it may reasonably require for the purpose of making comparisons, in the exercise of its functions under sections 51, 52 and 57, between English NHS bodies and Welsh NHS bodies.]