Explanatory Notes

Health and Social Care Act 2012

2012 CHAPTER 7

27 March 2012

Commentary on Sections

Part 5 – Public involvement and local government

Chapter 1 – Public involvement
Local Healthwatch organisations
Section 184 – Local arrangements: power to make further provision

1139.This section amends section 223 of the 2007 Act, which concerns a duty to make regulations concerning the contents of local authorities’ contractual arrangements with Local Healthwatch organisations under section 221(1) of the 2007 Act.

1140.Subsection (2) makes a consequential amendment to section 223(1) of the 2007 Act.

1141.Subsection (3) inserts new subsection (1A) into section 223 which provides a power for the Secretary of State to make regulations requiring local authorities, in their contractual arrangements under section 221(1), to require Local Healthwatch organisations to include particular provision in their arrangements with Local Healthwatch contractors.

1142.Subsection (4) makes amendments to section 223(2). These include a power for regulations under section 223(1) or (1A) to require local authorities to include prescribed provision in their contractual arrangements with Local Healthwatch organisations and, similarly, to require local authorities to require Local Healthwatch organisations in their arrangements with Local Healthwatch contractors to include prescribed provision. The provision which may be prescribed includes provision relating to the activities which a Local Healthwatch contractor may not carry out on behalf of a Local Healthwatch organisation, the obtaining (by a Local Healthwatch organisation) of a licence from the CQC for use of a trade mark, the grant of a sub-license to a Local Healthwatch contractor, the use or infringement of the trade mark, and the imposition of a requirement for a Local Healthwatch organisation to act with a view to securing that its Local Health contractors are representative of local residents and service users or potential service users.