Washminster

Washminster
Washminster

Wednesday 4 February 2009

Health Bill

Today the House of Lords is due to give a Second Reading to the Health Bill. This is a large bill covering a number of health related areas.

When reading a Bill for the first time there are some useful aids. (All current bills are listed - and have useful links at http://services.parliament.uk/bills/)

Firstly look at the long title - always at the start of the text of the bill itself. In this case the long title is "A BILL TO Make provision about The NHS Constitution; to make provision about health care (including provision about the National Health Service and health bodies); to make provision for the control of the promotion and sale of tobacco products; to make provision about the investigation of complaints about privately arranged or funded adult social care; and for connected purposes."

Then view the structure by looking at the Part and Chapter headings, and then the Schedule titles. These are found in the contents, which are physically situated at the beginning of the bill.

PART 1 -QUALITY AND DELIVERY OF NHS SERVICES IN ENGLAND
CHAPTER 1 - NHS CONSTITUTION
1 NHS Constitution
2 Duty to have regard to NHS Constitution
3 Availability, review and revision of NHS Constitution
4 Availability, review and revision of Handbook
5 Report on effect of NHS Constitution
CHAPTER 2 - QUALITY ACCOUNTS
6 Duty of providers to publish information
7 Supplementary provision about the duty
8 Regulations under section
CHAPTER 3 - DIRECT PAYMENTS
9 Direct payments for health care
10 Jurisdiction of Health Service Commissioner
11 Direct payments: minor and consequential amendments
CHAPTER 4 - INNOVATION
12 Innovation prizes

PART 2 - POWERS IN RELATION TO HEALTH BODIES
CHAPTER 1 - TRUST SPECIAL ADMINISTRATORS FOR NHS BODIES IN ENGLAND
13 Trust special administrators: NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts
14 De-authorised NHS foundation trusts
15 Trust special administrators: Primary Care Trusts
16 Trust special administrators: consequential amendments
CHAPTER 2 - SUSPENSION
17 NHS and other health appointments: suspension

PART 3 - MISCELLANEOUS
Tobacco
18 Prohibition of advertising: exclusion for specialist tobacconists
19 Prohibition of tobacco displays etc
20 Power to prohibit or restrict sales from vending machines
21 Power to prohibit or restrict sales from vending machines: Northern Ireland
22 Tobacco: minor and consequential amendments
Pharmaceutical services in England
23 Pharmaceutical needs assessments
24 New arrangements for entry to pharmaceutical list
25 Pharmaceutical lists - minor amendment
26 Breach of terms of arrangements: notices and penalties
27 LPS schemes: powers of Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities
Pharmaceutical services in Wales
28 Pharmaceutical lists - minor amendment
29 Breach of terms of arrangements: notices and penalties
30 LPS schemes: powers of Local Health Boards
Adult social care
31 Investigation of complaints about privately arranged or funded adult social
care
Disclosure of information
32 Disclosure of information by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
PART 4 - GENERAL
33 Power to make transitional and consequential provision etc
34 Repeals and revocations
35 Extent
36 Commencement
37 Short title

Schedule 1 — Direct payments: minor and consequential amendments
Schedule 2 — De-authorised NHS foundation trusts
Schedule 3 — NHS and other health appointments: suspension
Part 1 — Amendments of enactments
Part 2 — Supplementary
Schedule 4 — Tobacco: minor and consequential amendments
Schedule 5 — Investigation of complaints about privately arranged or
funded adult social care
Part 1 — New Part 3A for the Local Government Act 1974
Part 2 — Minor and consequential amendments
Schedule 6 — Repeals and revocations

A summary of the Bill can be found at http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/health.html

Useful Background can be found in the Explanatory Notes - http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldbills/018/en/2009018en.pdf
and the House of Commons Library usually produces a Research Paper (http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_publications_and_archives/research_papers.cfm), though only when the Bill is before the Commons.

The House of Lords briefing Note is available at http://llweb.parliament.uk/Library/content/NotesPapers/Default.aspx