The Patient and Client Council (Membership and Procedure) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

PART 4 FUNCTIONS

Provision of assistance to individuals making or intending to make a complaint

15.  For the purposes of section 17(4) of the Act (complaint of a prescribed description) the Council may provide assistance to individuals about any expression of dissatisfaction that requires a response and is reasonably connected with the exercise of the functions of a body responsible for health and social care in accordance with section 17(9) of the Act.

Entry to premises

16.—(1) A member of the Council may, for the purposes of any of the Council’s functions, enter—

(a) any premises described in section 18(4)(a) of the Act; and

(b) any other premises where health and social care is provided by a body responsible for health and social care in accordance with section 17(9) of the Act;

and except where, in the opinion of the persons or bodies controlling those premises, this would compromise the effective provision of health and social care or the service user’s safety, privacy or dignity, those persons and bodies shall comply with the request for entry.

(2) A member of the Council may not enter any premises or part of premises used as residential accommodation by persons employed by any of the persons or bodies described in section 18(4)(a) of the Act, or responsible for health and social care in accordance with section 17(9) of the Act.

(3) In exercising rights of entry under this regulation, the Council shall have regard to the need to safeguard service users’ safety, privacy and dignity and the need not to compromise the effective provision of health and social care services.