Visits to see loved ones in care homes, hospitals and hospices will be better protected under plans announced by the Government.
Changes will be made to the law so that visits are a fundamental standard of care, putting them on par with having access to food and drink and properly qualified staff.
Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
"For those in hospital, visits from friends and family are incredibly supportive.
"That is why our compassionate Conservative agenda is focused on empowering patients and their loved ones. Giving those in hospital the welfare boost they deserve."
The Care Quality Commission will have a clear mandate to check that providers are meeting these obligations, so that those in care maintain vital connections with family and friends.
Visiting was restricted at the height of the pandemic to prevent the spread of Covid and keep people safe, but as restrictions eased the guidance for visiting in hospital and care settings changed accordingly.
The majority of settings adhered to the guidance, but there have been reports of people being denied access to family members and loved ones – so the Government has acted to make sure expectations around visits are clear to health and care providers.
Minister for Care, Helen Whately, said:
"Contacts with loved ones makes all the difference to the wellbeing of people in care homes and hospices. Of course, keeping people safe from infections in important, but this is about striking the right balance.
"I know how painful it can be when you're stopped from seeing someone who means everything to you, especially when you don't know how much time they have left. It's something I don't want anyone to have to go through again. That's why we're changing the law to recognise just how much visiting matters."
The plans announced have been set out in the Department of Health and Social Care’s response to ‘Visiting in care homes, hospitals, and hospices’ consultation.
This consultation proposed introducing visiting as a new fundamental standard in the CQC regulations, and today’s response confirms that secondary legislation will take that forward.
This will provide the Care Quality Commission with a clear direction to identify a visiting breach by a healthcare setting and apply more pressure to providers who may not be following government visiting guidance.
These changes will not only cover inpatients but also account for the need to enable patients attending hospice and hospital outpatient appointments, emergency department and diagnostic services to be accompanied by someone if they need or wish to be.
The Government will take steps to lay regulations as soon as possible.
Minister for Health and Secondary, Andrew Stephenson, said:
"Being able to visit a loved one or go with them to an outpatient appointment can make a huge difference and there should be no reason to deny either the visitor or patient the joy or reassurance of the face-to-face connection.
"Most settings quickly accommodated visiting again once we came out of the worst of the pandemic, but we need everyone to do so, which is why we're putting a clear system in place to make sure care homes, hospitals and hospices are giving visiting the importance it deserves."
