Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Health services
There are many situations where work activities which may give rise to risks to health and safety are regulated by other authorities using legislation that may address circumstances which are also relevant to health and safety at work issues.
HSC’s policy, in accordance with the Government’s Enforcement Concordat, is to ensure that, wherever practicable, enforcement action by the health and safety enforcing authorities is effectively co-ordinated with that of other, relevant enforcing authorities so as to minimise unnecessary overlaps and time delays
HSE has therefore developed a number of formal working arrangements with other regulators and agencies to clarify roles and responsibilities and establish robust communication arrangements between all parties on shared interests.
HSE is one of a number of signatories to the Healthcare Commission Concordat "Concordat Between Bodies Inspecting, Regulating & Auditing Healthcare". The Concordat aims to help reduce the regulatory burden put on frontline healthcare staff while continuing to support the improvement of services for patients.
HSE is also a signatory to a similar Concordat between bodies responsible for regulating, auditing and advising on health and social care in Wales. It provides a framework for support the development of health and social care services and to eliminate the unnecessary burdens of inspection programmes on front line staff.
HSE’s Concordat with the NHS Security Management Service establishes a formal working partnership to manage the violence and aggression issues across the NHS ( England). It provides a framework to ensure that we understand each other's roles and responsibilities and how we will work together on our shared agenda of reducing violence and aggression.
The three way Memorandum of Understanding will help ensure that investigations into serious patient safety incidents are conducted in a consistent and well co-ordinated manner. The Memorandum will take effect in circumstances of unexpected death or serious untoward harm, involving NHS patients being treated in either NHS or independent sector hospitals, requiring investigation by the police, HSE or the police and the HSE jointly.
HSE and the General Medical Council is an agreed framework for co-operation and collaboration between the two organisations, both of which have statutory duties to protect the well-being of the community. The Memorandum sets out the respective roles and responsibilities of the organisations and establishes a mechanism for sharing intelligence and expertise on general approaches and initiatives as well as on specific inquiries. The MoU is currently being revised and will be available in April 2007.
