Section 15: Code of practice: effects on existing functions of Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection
85.This section amends the 2003 Act to provide for new functions of the Healthcare Commission in relation to the code.
86.Subsection (2) amends section 50 of the 2003 Act (annual reviews) so that the Healthcare Commission must take the code into account when it conducts an annual review of health care under this section. It places a duty on the Healthcare Commission to consider the extent (if any) to which a body is observing any provisions of the code that apply to it.
87.The Healthcare Commission also has the function of conducting reviews of NHS health care across England and Wales under section 51 of the 2003 Act (reviews: England and Wales). Subsection (3) amends section 51(4)(a) so that the Healthcare Commission must also take account of the code when reviewing health care provided by or for an English NHS body or cross-border SHA in the context of a review under this section.
88.This section also amends section 52 of the 2003 Act (reviews and investigations: England) so that the Healthcare Commission must take the code into account when conducting a review or investigation under section 52 (subsection (5)). Subsection (5A) provides that when the Healthcare Commission undertakes a review of the arrangements made by a particular English NHS body or cross-border SHA for the purpose of discharging their duty of quality in health care, the Healthcare Commission must consider the extent (if any) to which the body in question is observing any applicable provisions of the code (see section 52(3) of the 2003 Act (as amended by subsection (4)).
89.Subsection (6) amends section 54(2) of the 2003 Act so that it refers to the code and allows the Healthcare Commission to give advice to the Secretary of State on changes that it thinks should be made to the code in order to secure improvements in the quality of NHS health care.
