The Independent Health Care Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Visits by registered provider

26.—(1) Where the registered provider is an individual but is not in day-to-day charge of the establishment or agency, he shall visit the establishment or agency premises in accordance with this regulation.

(2) Where the registered provider is an organisation or a partnership, the establishment or agency shall be visited in accordance with this regulation by –

(a) the responsible individual or one of the partners, as the case may be;

(b) another of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation or partnership; or

(c) an employee of the organisation or partnership who is not directly concerned with the conduct of the establishment or agency.

(3) Visits under paragraph (1) or (2) shall take place at least once every six months and shall be unannounced.

(4) The person carrying out the visit shall –

(a) interview, with their consent and in private (if necessary, by telephone), such of the patients and their representatives and such employees as appears to him to be necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of treatment and other services provided in or for the purposes of the establishment, or for the purposes of the agency;

(b) inspect records of any complaints and, in the case of an establishment, its premises; and

(c) prepare a written report on the conduct of the establishment or agency.

(5) The registered provider shall maintain a copy of the report required to be made under paragraph (4)(c) on the establishment or agency and make it available on request to –

(a) the Regulation and Improvement Authority;

(b) the registered manager;

(c) the patient or their representative.

(6) In the case of a visit under paragraph (2) –

(i) where the registered provider is an organisation, to each of the directors or other persons responsible for the management of the organisation; and

(ii) where the registered provider is a partnership, to each of the partners.