These Regulations make provision in respect of three different issues, all of which concern the relationship between, on the one hand, local authorities and, on the other, clinical commissioning groups or, in certain cases, the National Health Service Commissioning Board (“NHS bodies”) at the boundary between their respective areas of responsibilities: the issue of consent to arranging the provision of nursing care by a registered nurse; the issue of joint working between local authorities and NHS bodies and the issue of resolving disputes between local authorities and NHS bodies.

Local authorities are prohibited by section 22 of the Care Act 2014 from meeting needs under the Act by providing or arranging for the provision of services or facilities that it is the responsibility of the National Health Service to provide. However, local authorities are permitted, despite this prohibition, to arrange for the provision of accommodation together with the provision of registered nursing care by a registered nurse if they have obtained consent to arrange for the provision of such nursing care from whichever clinical commissioning group (“CCG”) regulations require.

Regulation 2 imposes a requirement to obtain such consent from the CCG which has the responsibility for arranging for the provision of nursing care by a registered nurse in respect of the person concerned.

That responsibility is established by reference to certain provisions of the National Health Service Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”) and regulations made under the 2006 Act.

Regulation 3 makes provision about how local authorities must work with NHS bodies in the processes for assessing a person’s needs for health care and for deciding how those needs must be met. It includes requirements regarding participation in review panels. These provisions mirror similar requirements regarding joint working that are imposed on such NHS bodies by the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 (as amended) (“the Standing Rules Regulations”).

Regulation 4 imposes requirements on local authorities to make arrangements for determining any disputes between themselves and NHS bodies about whether or not something should be provided by the NHS as part of the health service. Again, these requirements mirror similar requirements imposed on NHS bodies by the Standing Rules Regulations.

Regulation 5 makes transitional provisions to provide for continuity in those cases where (in accordance with directions issued under the provisions of section 7A of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970) the local authority is already working jointly with NHS bodies in a particular case, or is already in receipt of a request to nominate a member to a review panel or is already working with an NHS body to settle a dispute.

A separate impact assessment has not been prepared for these Regulations. These Regulations are part of a package of legislative measures and the relevant impact assessment can be requested via careactconsultation@dh.gsi.gov.uk or Department of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS and is available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health.