The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010

Respecting and involving service users

17.—(1) The registered person must, so far as reasonably practicable, make suitable arrangements to ensure—

(a) the dignity, privacy and independence of service users; and

(b) that service users are enabled to make, or participate in making, decisions relating to their care or treatment.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the registered person must—

(a) treat service users with consideration and respect;

(b) provide service users with appropriate information and support in relation to their care or treatment;

(c) encourage service users, or those acting on their behalf, to—

(i) understand the care or treatment choices available to the service user, and discuss with an appropriate health care professional, or other appropriate person, the balance of risks and benefits involved in any particular course of care or treatment, and

(ii) express their views as to what is important to them in relation to the care or treatment;

(d) where necessary, assist service users, or those acting on their behalf, to express the views referred to in sub-paragraph (c)(ii) and, so far as appropriate and reasonably practicable, accommodate those views;

(e) where appropriate, provide opportunities for service users to manage their own care or treatment;

(f) where appropriate, involve service users in decisions relating to the way in which the regulated activity is carried on in so far as it relates to their care or treatment;

(g) provide appropriate opportunities, encouragement and support to service users in relation to promoting their autonomy, independence and community involvement; and

(h) take care to ensure that care and treatment is provided to service users with due regard to their age, sex, religious persuasion, sexual orientation, racial origin, cultural and linguistic background and any disability they may have.