Policy Updates 21st March 2022
The following policy updates have been curated from the week commencing 21st March 2022.
New Policy
Changes to the MCA Code of Practice and implementation of the LPS
We are consulting on the proposed changes to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) Code of Practice, which includes guidance on the new Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) system. This consultation is also seeking views on the LPS regulations, which will underpin the new system. The MCA was implemented alongside a Code of Practice which now requires updating for 2 key reasons:
the existing Code guidance needs updating in light of new legislation and case law, organisational and terminological changes, and developments in ways of working and good practice
the new LPS system means that additional guidance needs to be added to the Code
Found at: GOV.UK
Changes to the law and guidance about making your own decisions (easy read)
The government is making changes to the rules about making your own decisions. We are updating the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice and considering a new system of safeguards – the Liberty Protection Safeguards.
Found at: GOV.UK
Ukrainians fleeing war granted free access to NHS healthcare (press release)
All Ukrainians arriving in England will be able to access NHS healthcare free of charge, including GP and nurse consultations, hospital services, and urgent care centres
Changes coming into force today (Thursday 17 March) will also cover any treatment that has taken place since the start of the Russian invasion.
The UK remains the second-largest humanitarian donor to Ukraine and has provided over 1.8 million items of medical supplies to the country.
From today Ukrainians fleeing their home country will be guaranteed free access to NHS healthcare, including hospital services, GP and nurse consultations, urgent care centres and injury units.
Found at: GOV.UK
Updated Policy
Vaccination as a condition of deployment (VCOD) in care homes, wider social care and healthcare Q&A following government’s announcement of its decision to revoke the regulations
The VCOD Q&A has been updated to reflect the revocation of the policy.
Found at: DHSC
COVID-19 vaccination programme
17 March 2022
Added link to updated COVID-19 vaccination training slide set.
Found at: GOV.UK
COVID-19: infection prevention and control (IPC)
15 March 2022
Updated to clarify the recommended use of PPE.
Found at: GOV.UK
Final version of the care homes and optometrists note
An updated version of the NHSEI document that was shared with members in yesterday’s daily policy update.
Found at: NHS
COVID-19 vaccination: spring booster resources
16 March 2022
Added links to translated versions.
Found a: GOV.UK
Wider Stakeholder News
Rollout of COVID-19 Spring Boosters
A letter from the Director of Adult Social Care Delivery and Covid-19 Response, Claire Armstrong, on the rollout of spring boosters for residents of care homes for older adults.
This follows the advice of the JCVI, 21 February 2022.
Found at: GOV.UK
NHS bookings open for Spring boosters
The NHS COVID vaccination programme will today start inviting eligible people to come forward for their life-saving Spring booster jabs. People aged 75 and over and those who are immunosuppressed will be able to book from 7am as the biggest and most successful vaccination programme in health service history enters a new phase. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised a spring jab should be offered to those most vulnerable to COVID-19 as a precautionary measure. The NHS will invite people to arrange a jab through the national booking service when it is their turn. It can be accessed online at nhs.uk/covidvaccine or by calling 119.
Found at: NHS England
Two years on: How has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic changed people's daily lives?
Exploring the attitudes and behaviours of different social groups in relation to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and feelings of returning to normal.
Found at: GOV.UK
NCF Members Briefing
Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) Consultation Announcement
After a long delay, the government has launched a public consultation on proposed changes to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Code of Practice for England and Wales, which includes guidance on the new LPS system. The consultation will run for 16 weeks until 7 July 2022. Alongside the consultation are six sets of draft regulations which will underpin the LPS. Four of these will apply in England only, and the remainder will apply to both. There are quite a lot of documents and some of them are very long so it will take us a week or two before we have a briefing for the membership. The documents published include:
Consultation document - Changes to the MCA Code of Practice and Implementation of the LPS (60 pages)
Draft MCA Code of Practice (518 Pages)
Draft MCA Code of Practice - Summary
Draft LPS regulations: Assessment, Determinations and Pre-Authorisation Review - England (6 pages)
Draft LPS regulations: Training and Approval for Approved Mental Capacity Professionals - England (8 pages)
Draft LPS regulations: Independent Mental Capacity Advocates - England (3 pages)
Draft LPS regulations: Consequential Provisions - England and Wales (8 pages)
Draft LPS regulations: Commencement, Transitional and Savings Provisions - England and Wales (3 pages)
Draft LPS regulations: Monitoring and Reporting - England (5 pages)
LPS implementation: draft national workforce and training strategy - England (35 pages)
LPS implementation: draft training framework (38 pages)
LPS implementation: annex to the draft LPS training framework (9 pages)
LPS Implementation: draft LPS National Minimum Data Set (England)
LPS implementation: draft impact assessment (56 pages)
LPS implementation: draft impact equalities assessment
Consultation privacy notice
Links to all of the above can be found on the public consultation page.
Spring Booster Campaign
We believe that the Spring Booster campaign will begin next week. Communications for social care should come early next week.
In February the JCVI announced the priority for Spring Boosters as follows, 6 months after the last vaccine dose:
adults aged 75 years and over
residents in a care homes for older adults
individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the Green Book
Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning (ACP)
The purpose of this document is to set out six high level principles for advance care planning in England. It is for the person, those important to them, practitioners and organisations involved in supporting advance care planning conversations and honouring their outcomes.
Found at: NHS