Written questions, answers and statements

Care Homes and Hospitals: Visits

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Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 27003, tabled on 28 January 2025

Question

Dan Tomlinson
Labour
Chipping Barnet
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing people in (a) care homes and (b) hospitals to have visitors in all circumstances.

Answer

Stephen Kinnock
Labour
Aberafan Maesteg
Commons

Answered on

4 February 2025

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standard on Visiting and Accompanying (Regulation 9A) came into force on 6 April 2024, and requires CQC registered care homes, hospitals, and hospices to facilitate visiting, unless there are exceptional circumstances which mean that it is not safe to do so.

We continue to monitor the situation regarding visiting by looking at Capacity Tracker data and intel from sector partners. We will conduct a review of Regulation 9A from April 2025, 12 months on from the legislation coming into force, to assess whether the legislation has been effective in addressing concerns about visiting in health and care settings. Depending on the outcome of the review we will consider whether further action is needed.

Answered by

Department of Health and Social Care
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