Post-Legislative Assessment of the Health Act 2006

In March 2008, a system of post-legislative scrutiny of Acts of Parliament was introduced in response to a review by the Law Commission following a report from the Lords Constitution Committee. Under these arrangements Government departments are obliged to undertake a preliminary assessment of the Acts they are responsible for since 2005 and within 3 to 5 years after an Act has received Royal Assent. The Department has undertaken a preliminary assessment of the Health Act 2006. The main purposes of the Act are: to ensure protection from the health dangers of secondhand tobacco smoke; to provide a statutory footing to reduce levels of health care associated infection; to provide for safer management of controlled drugs, and improvements to pharmacy and ophthalmic services, as well as changes to the administration of the NHS.