Nursing Homes
(Jersey) Law 1994[1]
A LAW to make new provision for the
registration and regulation of nursing homes and for connected purposes[2]
Commencement [see endnotes]
PART 1[3]
INTRODUCTORY
1 Interpretation
(1) In
this Law –
“certified” in
relation to a midwife, means a person authorized to exercise the profession of
midwife in Jersey under the Loi (1922) sur la santé publique
(Sage-Femmes);
“Commission”
means the Health and Social Care Commission established by Article 35 of
the Regulation
of Care (Jersey) Law 2014;
“maternity home”
has the meaning given by Article 1A(1)(b);
“mental
disorder” has the meaning given by Article 1 of the Mental
Health (Jersey) Law 2016;
“mental nursing home”
means any premises used or intended to be used for the reception of, and the
provision of nursing or other medical treatment (including care, habilitation
or rehabilitation under medical supervision) for, one or more mentally
disordered persons, (meaning persons suffering, or appearing to be suffering,
from mental disorder) whether exclusively or in common with other persons;
“notice” means
a notice in writing;
“nursing home”
has the meaning given by Article 1A;
“prescribed”
means prescribed by Order of the Chief Minister;
“registered medical
practitioner” has the same meaning as in the Medical
Practitioners (Registration) (Jersey) Law 1960;
“relative” has
the meaning given by Article 2.[4]
(2) In
this Law, any reference to carrying out a termination of pregnancy includes
administering any drug for the purpose of inducing a termination.[5]
1A Meaning
of “nursing home”[6]
(1) In
this Law “nursing home” means any premises, not being a mental
nursing home, which are used or intended to be used –
(a) for
the reception of, and the provision of nursing for, persons suffering from any
sickness, injury or infirmity; or
(b) for
the reception of pregnant women or of women immediately after childbirth (a
“maternity home”); or
(c) for
the provision of all or any of the services specified in paragraph (3).
(2) However
“nursing home” does not include –
(a) any sanatorium provided at a school or
educational establishment and used or intended to be used solely by persons in
attendance at, or members of the staff of, that school or establishment or
members of their families;
(b) any first aid or treatment room provided at
a factory, office, shop premises or at a sports ground, show ground or place of
public entertainment;
(c) any premises used or intended to be used wholly
or mainly –
(i) for the purpose
of consultations with patients by a registered medical practitioner,
(ii) for
the purpose of treating patients by a registered dentist within the meaning of
Article 1 of the Dentistry
(Jersey) Law 2015 or a chiropodist or
podiatrist registered under the Health
Care (Registration) (Jersey) Law 1995,
or
(iii) for
the provision of occupational health facilities,
unless they are used or
intended to be used for the provision of any of the services specified in
paragraph (3), not being premises prescribed under sub-paragraph (e);
(d) any premises used or intended to be used
wholly or mainly as a private dwelling;
(e) any other premises which may be prescribed
for the purposes of this paragraph.
(3) The
services mentioned in paragraph (1)(c) and paragraph (2)(c)
are –
(a) the carrying out of surgical procedures
under anaesthesia;
(b) the carrying out of terminations of
pregnancy;
(c) endoscopy;
(d) haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis;
(e) treatment by laser and diagnosis or
treatment by radiation, including X-ray; and
(f) any other technique of medicine or
surgery (including cosmetic surgery) as to which the Commission is satisfied
that its use may create a hazard for persons treated by means of it or for the
staff of any premises where the technique is used, and which is prescribed for
the purposes of this paragraph.[7]
2 Meaning of “relative”
(1) In
this Law “relative” means any of the following –
(a) husband or wife or civil partner;
(b) son or daughter;
(c) father or mother;
(d) brother or sister;
(e) grandparent or other ascendant;
(f) grandchild or other descendant;
(g) uncle or aunt;
(h) nephew or niece.[8]
(2) In
deducing any relationship for the purposes of paragraph (1) –
(a) any relationship by marriage or civil
partnership shall be treated as a relationship by consanguinity, any
relationship of the half-blood as a relationship of the whole blood, and the
stepchild of any person as his or her child; and
(b) an illegitimate person shall be treated as
the legitimate child of the child’s mother and reputed father.[9]
(3) In
this Article “husband”, “wife” and “civil
partner” include a person who is living with a person carrying on or
intending to carry on a residential care home as that person’s husband,
wife or civil partner, respectively, and who has been so living for a period of
not less than 6 months.[10]
(4) [11]
3 Homes to which Law applies[12]
(1) This
Law applies to any nursing home.
(2) This
Law does not apply to –
(a) any hospital maintained or controlled by the
States or any administration of the States;
(b) any premises used for the purposes of a
regulated activity within the meaning of Article 2 of the Regulation
of Care (Jersey) Law 2014.
Part 2[13]
Registration of Nursing Homes
4 Requirement of registration
(1) The
Commission shall maintain a register of every nursing home.[14]
(2) Any
person who carries on a nursing home without being registered under this law shall
be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine.[15]
(3) [16]
(4) Where
the person carrying on or intending to carry on a nursing home is not the person
who is or is intended to be in charge of the premises, both of those persons
are to be treated as carrying on or intending to carry on the home, and
accordingly as requiring to be registered under this Law.[17]
(5) An
application for registration under this Law –
(a) shall be made to the Commission in such form
as may be prescribed;
(b) shall be accompanied by a fee of such amount
as may be prescribed; and
(c)
(d) shall state –
(i) whether or not it
is proposed to receive in the home pregnant women or women immediately after
childbirth, and
(ii) whether
or not it is proposed to carry out terminations of pregnancy in the home.[18]
(6) Subject
to Article 7, the Commission shall, on receiving an application under paragraph (5),
register the applicant in respect of the home named in the application, and
shall issue to the applicant a certificate of registration.[19]
(7) [20]
(8) Where
a person is registered in pursuance of an application stating that it is
proposed to receive in the home pregnant women or women immediately after
childbirth or that it is proposed to carry out terminations of pregnancy in the
home –
(a) that fact shall be specified in the
certificate of registration; and
(b) the particulars of the registration shall be
entered by the Commission in a separate part of the register of nursing homes.[21]
(9) The
certificate of registration issued under this Article shall be kept affixed in
a conspicuous place in the home, and if default is made in complying with this paragraph,
the person carrying on the home shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a
fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.[22]
(10) The
Commission may issue a duplicate certificate of registration in such
circumstances, and on payment of such fee, as may be prescribed.[23]
5 [24]
6 Registration conditions
(1) It
shall be a condition of the registration of any person under this Law that the
number of persons kept at any one time in the home (excluding persons carrying
on or employed at the home and their relatives) does not exceed such number as
may be specified in the certificate of registration.[25]
(2) Without
prejudice to paragraph (1), any such registration may be effected subject
to such conditions as the Commission may consider appropriate –
(a) for regulating the age, sex and other
category of persons who may be received in the home in question; and
(b) for restricting the number of persons who
may be accommodated in any particular room or rooms in the home,
and any condition imposed
by virtue of sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) shall be specified in the
certificate of registration.[26]
(3) The
registration of any person in respect of a nursing home in which it is proposed
to carry out terminations of pregnancy may be effected subject to such
conditions as the Commission may consider appropriate.[27]
(3A) [28]
(3B) [29]
(4) The
Commission may from time to time –
(a) vary or remove any condition for the time
being in force in respect of a home by virtue of this Article, or
(b) impose an additional condition,
either on the application
of a person registered in respect of it or without such an application.[30]
(5) If
any condition for the time being in force in respect of a home by virtue of
this Article is not complied with, the person registered in respect of that
home or any person carrying on the home or both of them shall be guilty of an
offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.[31]
7 Refusal of registration
(1) The
Commission may refuse to register an applicant under this Law if the Commission
is satisfied –
(a) that the applicant, or any person employed
or proposed to be employed by the applicant at the home, is not a fit person
(whether by reason of age or otherwise) to carry on or be employed at a nursing
home;
(b) that, for reasons concerned with situation,
construction, state of repair, accommodation, staffing or equipment (but
subject to the provisions of any Order under Article 15(1) or (2)(b)), the
home is not, or any premises used in connection with the home are not, fit to
be used for a nursing home;
(c) that the home is, or any premises used in
connection with the home are, used, or proposed to be used, for purposes which
are in any way improper or undesirable in the case of a nursing home;
(d) that the way in which it is intended to
carry on the home is such as not to provide services or facilities reasonably
required;
(e) that the home is not, or will not be, in the
charge of a person who is a person who has the qualifications, skill, knowledge
or experience necessary to be in charge of a nursing home; or
(f) that the following condition is not,
or will not be, fulfilled in relation to the home, namely that such number of
nurses possessing such qualifications, and in the case of a maternity home,
such number of certified midwives, as may be specified in a notice served by
the Commission on the person carrying on or proposing to carry on the home are
on duty in the home at such times as may be so specified.[32]
(2) [33]
8 Cancellation of registration
(1) The
Commission may at any time cancel the registration of a person under this Law –
(a) on any ground which would entitle the Commission
to refuse an application for the registration of that person in respect of that
home;
(b) on the ground that that person has been
convicted of an offence against this Law, or that any other person has been
convicted of such an offence in respect of that home;
(c) on the ground that any condition for the
time being in force in respect of the home by virtue of this Law has not been
complied with;
(d) on the ground that that person has been
convicted of an offence against an Order made under Article 15;
(e) on the ground that the annual fee in respect
of the home has not been paid on or before the due date; or
(f) at the request of that person.[34]
(2) Where
an Order under Article 15(1) or (2)(b) or has come into force with respect
to any nursing home since the date of registration of any person, the
registration may be cancelled on the ground specified in Article 7(1)(b)
by reason that the home does not comply with any standard specified in that Order,
notwithstanding that the construction, accommodation or equipment of the home
or the staffing of the home, as the case may be, has not changed since the date
of registration.[35]
Part 3[36]
PROCEDURE
9 Ordinary procedure for registration, etc.
(1) Where –
(a) a person applies for registration under this
Law; and
(b) the Commission proposes to grant the person’s application,
the Commission shall give
him or her notice of the Commission’s proposal and of the conditions
subject to which the Commission proposes to grant his or her application.[37]
(2) The
Commission shall give an applicant notice of a proposal to refuse the
applicant’s application.[38]
(3) Except
where it applies to the Bailiff under Article 11, the Commission shall
give any person registered under this Law notice of a proposal –
(a) to cancel the registration;
(b) to vary any condition of such registration;
or
(c) to impose any additional condition.[39]
(4) A
notice under this Article shall –
(a) give the Commission’s reasons for the Commission’s
proposal; and
(b) state that within such period as may be
specified in the notice (not being less than 21 days beginning with the
date of service of the notice) any person on whom it is served may make
objections or representations in writing to the Commission concerning the
proposal.[40]
(5) In
relation to any proposal mentioned in paragraph (1), (2) or (3) the Commission –
(a) shall not make a decision on the proposal
before the expiration of the period specified under paragraph (4)(b); and
(b) shall before making such a decision consider
any objections or representations made in accordance with the notice.[41]
10 Decision of Commission[42]
(1) If
the Commission decides to adopt a proposal mentioned in paragraph (1), (2)
or (3) of Article 9, it shall serve notice of its decision on any person
on whom the Commission was required to serve notice of the proposal.[43]
(2) A
notice under this Article shall include an explanation of the right of appeal
conferred by Article 12.
(3) A
decision of the Commission, other than a decision –
(a) to grant an application for registration
subject only to conditions agreed between the applicant and the Commission; or
(b) to refuse an application for registration,
shall not take
effect –
(i) if
no appeal is brought, until the expiration of the period of 28 days referred to
in Article 12(2); and
(ii) if
an appeal is brought, until it is determined or abandoned.[44]
11 Urgent procedure for cancellation, etc.
(1) The
Commission may apply to the Bailiff ex parte
for a provisional order –
(a) cancelling the registration of a person under
this Law;
(b) varying any condition of such registration;
or
(c) imposing an additional condition.[45]
(2) If
upon an application under paragraph (1) it appears to the Bailiff that
there is prima facie evidence that there will
be serious risk to the life, health or well being of any person resident, or as
the case may be, a patient, in the home unless an order is made, the Bailiff
may make a provisional order in accordance with the application of the Commission.[46]
(3) An
application under paragraph (1) shall be supported by an affidavit stating
the reasons for the Commission’s application.[47]
(4) As
soon as practicable after the making of a provisional order under this Article –
(a) notice of the making of the order and its
terms; and
(b) a copy of the affidavit which supported the
application for the order,
shall be served upon any person
registered in respect of the home concerned.
(5) A
provisional order under this Article shall take effect upon service in
accordance with paragraph (4).
(6) The
Commission shall, as soon as may be after the service of a provisional order,
summons the person served to appear before the Royal Court to witness the
confirmation of the provisional order and the Court may confirm, vary or cancel
the provisional order or make such other order as it thinks fit in the
interests of any person resident, or as the case may be, any patient, in the
home concerned.[48]
12 Appeals
(1) An
appeal against a decision of the Commission under this Law shall lie to the
Royal Court.[49]
(2) No
appeal against a decision of the Commission may be brought by a person more
than 28 days after service on him or her of notice of the decision.[50]
(3) On
an appeal against a decision of the Commission the Court may confirm the
decision or direct that it shall not have effect.[51]
13 Effect of death or cancellation
(1) Where –
(a) one person only is registered under this in
respect of a nursing home to which this Law applies; and
(b) that person dies,
the person’s
executor, administrator, surviving spouse or surviving civil partner or any
other relative of the person may for a period not exceeding 4 weeks from his or
her death, or such longer period as the Commission may sanction, carry on the
home without being registered in respect of it.[52]
(2) [53]
(3) [54]
(4) [55]
(5) [56]
(6) [57]
14 Inspection of register[58]
The register kept by the Commission for the purposes of this Law
shall be available for inspection at all reasonable times, and any person
inspecting the register shall be entitled to make copies of entries in the
register on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.[59]
15 Orders
(1) The
Chief Minister may make Orders specifying standards of construction,
accommodation and equipment which are to be complied with by any nursing home.[60]
(2) The
Chief Minister may make Orders as to the conduct of nursing homes, and in
particular –
(a) as to the facilities and services to be
provided in such homes;
(b) as to the numbers and qualifications of
staff to be employed in such homes;
(c) as to the numbers of suitably qualified and
competent staff to be on duty in such homes;
(d) with respect to entry into and the
inspection of premises used or reasonably believed to be used as a nursing home,
and the exercise on behalf of the Commission of the powers conferred by Article 19;
(e)
(f) with respect to the keeping of records
and notices in respect of persons received into such homes;
(g) with respect to the notification of events
occurring in such homes;
(h) as to the giving of notice by a person of a
description specified in the Order of periods during which any person of a
description so specified proposes to be absent from a nursing home and as to
the information to be supplied in such a notice;
(i) as to any information required to be
provided to the Commission in respect of the conduct of such homes;
(j)
(k) providing for the making of adequate arrangements
for the running of a nursing home during a period when the person in charge of
it is absent from it;
(l) requiring a notice stating the effect
of any condition imposed by virtue of Article 6(2)(b) to be displayed in
any room to which the condition relates. [61]
(3) The
Chief Minister may make Orders as to registration under this Law, and in
particular –
(a) requiring persons registered under this Law
to pay an annual fee;
(b) specifying when the fee is to be paid;
(c) as to the form of registers to be kept for
the purposes of this Law and the particulars to be contained in them; and
(d) as to the information to be supplied on an
application for registration.[62]
(4) An
Order under this Article may provide that a contravention of or failure to
comply with any specified provision thereof shall be an offence and that a person
guilty of such an offence shall be liable to a fine up to level 3 on the
standard scale.[63]
(5) [64]
Part 4[65]
OFFENCES
16 Prohibition on holding out premises as homes
(1) A
person who –
(a) applies any name to premises in Jersey;
or
(b) in any way describes such premises or holds
such premises out,
so as to indicate, or so
as reasonably to be understood to indicate, that the premises are a nursing
home shall be guilty of an offence unless registration in respect of the home
has been effected under this Law.[66]
(2) A
person guilty of an offence under this Article shall be liable to a fine of
level 3 on the standard scale.[67]
17 Liability of officers of body corporate; accessories and abettors,
etc.
(1) Where
an offence under this Law or any Order made under it which has been committed
by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or
connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director,
manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or any person
purporting to act in any such capacity, he or she as well as the body corporate
shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be
proceeded against and punished accordingly.
(2) Without
prejudice to paragraph (1), any person who knowingly and wilfully aids,
abets, counsels, causes, procures or commands the commission of any offence
under this Law or any Order made under it shall be liable to be dealt with,
tried and punished as a principal offender.
18 Defences
(1) In
any proceedings for an offence under this Law, subject to paragraph (2),
it shall be a defence for the person charged to prove –
(a) that the commission of the offence was due
to a mistake or to reliance on information supplied to him
or her or
to the act or default of another person, an accident or some other cause beyond
his or her control; and
(b) that he or she took all reasonable
precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of such an
offence by himself or herself or any person under his or her control.
(2) If
in any such case the defence provided by paragraph (1) involves the
allegation that the commission of the offence was due to the act or default of
another person or to reliance on information supplied by another person, the person
charged shall not, without leave of the court, be entitled to rely on that
defence unless, within a period ending 7 clear days before the hearing, he or
she has served on the Centenier who instituted proceedings or, if the case is
before the Royal Court, the Attorney General, a notice in writing giving such
information identifying or assisting in the identification of that other person
as was then in his or her possession.[68]
Part 5[69]
MISCELLANEOUS AND
SUPPLEMENTAL
19 Inspection of homes and visiting of patients
(1) Subject
to the provisions of this Article, any person authorized in that behalf by the Commission
may at any time, after producing, if asked to do so, some duly authenticated
document showing that he or she is so authorized, enter and inspect any
premises which are used, or which that person has reasonable cause to believe
to be used, for the purposes of a nursing home.[70]
(2) A
person authorized under paragraph (1) to inspect a nursing home may visit
and interview in private any person who is a patient, or is residing, in the
home –
(a) for the purpose of investigating any
complaint as to the person’s treatment made by or on
behalf of the patient or resident; or
(b) in any case where the person so authorized
has reasonable cause to believe that the patient or resident is not receiving
proper care,
and where the person so authorized
is a registered medical practitioner, he or she may examine the patient or
resident in private, and may require the production of, and inspect, any
medical records relating to the patient’s or resident’s treatment
in that home.[71]
(3) Any
person who refuses to allow the inspection of any premises, or without
reasonable cause refuses to allow the visiting, interviewing or examination of
any person by a person authorized in that behalf under this Article or to
produce for the inspection of any person so authorized any document or record
the production of which is duly required by him or her, or otherwise obstructs
any such person in the exercise of his or her powers under this Article, shall
be guilty of an offence.[72]
(4) Without
prejudice to the generality of paragraph (3), any person who insists on
being present when requested to withdraw by a person authorized as aforesaid to
interview or examine a person in private shall be guilty of an offence.
(5) A
person guilty of an offence under this Article shall be liable to a fine of
level 3 on the standard scale. [73]
(6) [74]
20 Service of documents
Any notice or other document required under this Law to be served
on a person carrying on, or intending to carry on, a nursing home, may be
served on him or her by delivering it personally to him or her or by post and shall be deemed to be properly addressed to the person if it is addressed to his or her usual place of
residence or last known place of business or to the home in question.[75]
21 [76]
22 Citation[77]
This Law may be cited as
the Nursing Homes (Jersey) Law 1994.