Health and Social Care Act 2008

Inspection programmes and inspection frameworks

5 (1) The Commission must from time to time, or at such times as the Secretary of State may specify by order, prepare—

(a) a document setting out what inspections it proposes to carry out (an “inspection programme”), and

(b) a document setting out the manner in which it proposes to exercise its functions of inspecting and reporting (an “inspection framework”).

(2) Before preparing an inspection programme or an inspection framework the Commission must consult—

(a) the Secretary of State,

(b) the inspection authorities, and

(c) any other person or body specified by an order made by the Secretary of State,

and it must send to each of those persons or bodies a copy of each programme or framework once it is prepared.

(3) The Secretary of State may by order specify the form that inspection programmes or inspection frameworks are to take.

(4) The Commission may determine that any document or combination of documents prepared for the purposes of any other enactment or enactments is to be treated as a document prepared for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b) (so long as any requirements applying under or by virtue of this paragraph are complied with in relation to the document or documents concerned).

(5) Nothing in any inspection programme or inspection framework is to be read as preventing the Commission from making visits without notice.