Health and Social Care Act passed by Parliament

The Health and Social Care Act has been passed by Parliament and received Royal Assent on 21 July 2008.

BIHR led a coalition of organisations which successfully lobbied the Government to use this legislation to close the ‘public authority loophole' in relation to residential care.

As a consequence, section 145 was introduced which confirms that private and voluntary sector organisations providing residential care services under contract to local authorities are bound by the Human Rights Act.

Section 145 has not yet entered into force. We expect this will happen in late October 2008.

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