What Regulation 17 asks
Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 covers good governance. Among other things, it expects providers to keep an accurate, complete and contemporaneous record for each person using the service, and to keep records secure.
This guide is a summary, not legal advice. Read CQC's own guidance on Regulation 17 for the full detail.
Keep a history of changes
Records change: visit times move, carers are swapped, details are corrected. Keeping a history of who changed what and when lets you show how a record came to be, rather than only its latest state.
Know who has looked
Recording who opened a client's record supports keeping it secure and lets you answer questions about access.
Keep records rather than deleting them
Care records need to be kept for set periods. Archiving a record when care ends, instead of deleting it, keeps it available for as long as you need to hold it.
Questions
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a plain summary. Check CQC's guidance and take advice for your own service.
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