CQC Health Audits Deadline Looms For U.K Primary Health Care Providers

Online, September 4, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Following a several years of legislative process and the creation of organisations to enforce the legislation British General practitioners and primary health care providers will be subject to
mandatory audits for compliance with essential standards.

For those who are unaware the primary health care providers in the U.K have in recent years been the subject of intense scrutiny from Government and the public as a number of infection outbreaks have taken place In hospitals.

These outbreaks in part have been linked to the standards of hygiene and cleaning process in place in primary health care institutions. The new regulations and audits will provide administrators with approved products and procedures to follow. Medical equipment supplies will be affected also.

From April 2013, all general practice primary health care providers that carry out "regulated activities" under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 will have to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). To achieve and maintain registration they will have to comply with Guidance about Compliance: Essential Standards of Quality and Safety, published by the CQC in March 2010, which includes statutory guidance relating to the health and safety of service users and staff.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) requires employers to prevent employees being exposed to substances hazardous to health or, if prevention is not reasonably practicable, to adequately control the exposure. If work is likely to expose employees to any substance hazardous to health, the employer must carry out a risk assessment.

Any equipment provided to control exposure to substances hazardous to health, e.g. local exhaust ventilation and personal protective equipment, must be maintained in good working order and good repair.

Any systems of work and supervision and any similar control measures must be reviewed at suitable intervals and revised if necessary. In certain circumstances, the exposure of employees to substances hazardous to health should be monitored.

Employees who may be exposed to substances hazardous to health must be provided with appropriate information, instruction and training.

If an accident, incident or emergency is likely to cause exposure of employees to levels of substances hazardous to health well above the normal level, the employer must ensure plans and procedures are in place. In situations where it is appropriate for the protection of employees, the employer must provide suitable health surveillance.

All of these factors form best practice for CQC. Products compliant for CQC include all the branded and unbranded cleaning supplies providing they have complementary COSHH data sheets available for Primary Care users to maintain under their CQC registration.