The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Commencement No.2) Order 2008

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force certain provisions of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (“the Act”).

Article 2 brings into force on 1st October 2008 the provisions in the Act establishing the Care Quality Commission. It also brings into force on that date provision consequential on such establishment and provision enabling the Care Quality Commission to take preparatory steps (such as the preparation of a programme of reviews) for the discharge of functions which will be commenced on 1st April 2009.

Article 3 brings into force on 1st October 2008 amendments to the Health Act 1999(1) which allow for orders under section 60 (regulation of health care and associated professions) of that Act to amend enactments made by the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly, and to provide for Privy Council functions under legislation for the regulation of health care professions to be exercised by others.

Article 4 brings into force provisions enabling an order to be made under section 60 of the Health Act 1999 which will regulate the profession of hearing aid dispensers, replacing the Hearing Aid Council which is to be abolished by section 123(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Article 5 brings into force amendments to section 71 of the National Health Service Act 2006(2) to enable expansion of the membership of indemnity schemes set up under section 71 of that Act in order to include the Secretary of State and persons, other than National Health Service bodies, who provide, or arrange the provision of services provided as part of the health service.

Article 6 brings into force section 143 of the Act which provides for the insertion of new paragraphs 7A and 7B into Schedule 1 to the National Health Service Act 2006. These new paragraphs make provision about weighing and measuring children in England.

Article 7 brings into force sections 157 and 158 of the Act which establish the National Information Governance Board for Health and Social Care, insert new sections 250A to 250D into the National Health Service Act 2006, and substitute a new section for section 252 of that Act.

(1)

1999 c.8.

(2)

2006 c. 41.