The Jersey Care Commission has developed a set of frequently asked questions relating to the inspection and regulation of Hospital, Mental Health and Ambulance services.
Guidance and Registration
In 2026, following changes to the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014, approved by the States Assembly in November 2025, our remit will expand to include the regulation of hospital services, ambulance services and Government-provided mental health services. Laser clinics will also now be inspected under the scope of the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014.
This means these services will be subject to independent regulation against clearly defined standards, with inspection reports published in line with our usual approach of transparency and accountability. Private mental health services are not included within the scope of this expansion.
The changes reflect a commitment to strengthening oversight across Jersey’s health and care services and to bringing hospital, ambulance and Government-provided mental health services into line with other health and social care services already regulated.
The purpose of modern independent regulation is to provide Islanders with assurance that health and social care services are safe, effective and well led, and to support continual improvement in the quality of care. Regulation sets clear expectations for providers about what good care looks like and helps promote best practice while identifying where improvements are needed.
Independent regulation does this by setting clear, evidence-based standards and assessing services against those standards in a fair, proportionate and transparent way. Through inspections and ongoing oversight, we provide independent assurance about the quality and safety of care and hold providers to account for meeting required standards.
Our approach to regulation is underpinned by five core principles that reflect what care users should expect from services. Care should be:
- Safe
- Effective
- Caring
- Responsive
- Well-led
Independent regulation helps protect people who use services and supports better outcomes for Islanders by ensuring care is consistently safe, high-quality and compassionate.
Under the expanded Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law, our remit will be updated to include the independent regulation of the following services:
- Hospital services
- Ambulance services
- Government-provided mental health services
- Laser clinics
Ambulance services provided by charitable organisations, including St John Ambulance Jersey and Normandy Rescue, fall within our remit under the updated law.
These services will be regulated under the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law and inspected against our regulatory framework and standards, in line with the phased approach outlined in this FAQ.
Private mental health services are not included within the scope of this expansion. Our remit in relation to mental health services applies only to services provided by the Government of Jersey.
Decisions about which services are included in regulation are made through the legislative process and voted on by elected members in the States Assembly. As an independent regulator, our role is to apply the law as enacted, providing independent assurance, promoting best practice and supporting the continual improvement of health and social care services for Islanders, within the remit set out in legislation.
At this early stage, preparation is about understanding what regulation involves, engaging early and beginning to reflect on how services align with the standards that underpin safe, effective and compassionate care.
We encourage providers to familiarise themselves with the Inspection Handbook and the Single Assessment Framework (SAF). These explain our inspection approach, what to expect before, during and after inspections, and what good care looks like in practice.
During the preparation phase, services should be open and honest about strengths and areas for improvement and begin to embed a culture of continuous improvement. Regulation and inspection are part of an ongoing process, not a one-off event.
We will provide clear information, guidance and opportunities for engagement as services prepare for regulation, while maintaining our independent role in providing assurance and oversight.
Following approval of the changes to the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law by the States Assembly in November 2025, the next step is for the UK Privy Council to give formal assent to this change to legislation. This process is expected to conclude by spring 2026. Once the law is enacted, newly regulated services will have up to six months to register with us.
Once the services have registered, the first inspection will begin in 2027. Due to the size and complexity of the services to be inspected the process will include pre-inspection information collecting, on-site inspection and post-inspection and report writing.
Inspection frequency will vary by service type. Ambulance services will be inspected on a three-year cycle. Hospital services and Government provided mental health services will be inspected on a five-year cycle. Hospital services will not be inspected all at once. Inspections will be carried out in phases, focusing on defined service areas or “blocks”, with the order determined through engagement, evidence and risk assessment.
We will assess the newly regulated services using a clear and consistent inspection framework known as the Single Assessment Framework (SAF). The SAF sets out what good care looks like in practice and how services are assessed against the legal requirements of regulation.
During inspections, services are assessed against the SAF in a proportionate and risk-informed way, with inspectors focusing on the standards most relevant to the service being inspected. This approach supports independent oversight, promotes improvement and helps ensure care is safe, effective and compassionate.
Further information about the Single Assessment Framework, including guidance on how it is used during inspections, is available on our website.
We will not inspect the whole hospital at once.
Because of the size, complexity and range of services delivered within the hospital, inspections will be carried out in a phased and proportionate way. Rather than inspecting the hospital as a single entity, inspections will focus on defined service areas or “blocks” over time.
Broadly the main hospital service blocks include:
- Medicine – medical services and emergency care
- Surgery – surgical services and critical care
- Outpatients – outpatient services, pharmacy, radiology and laboratories
- Women and Children – neonatal, maternity and children and young people’s services
- Mental health services
Hospital services are inspected on a five-year cycle, and inspections will be planned so that one service block is normally inspected each year across that cycle, rather than all areas being inspected at the same time.
As this is the first time hospital services are being regulated in Jersey, inspections will be introduced in a measured way. The order in which service areas are inspected will be informed by available information and risk, and will be communicated against a clearly defined timeline, in advance so services have the ability to provide data and information required by the Commission.
This approach allows inspections to be planned carefully, protect patient safety and avoid unnecessary disruption to patients, staff and day-to-day clinical activity, while maintaining strong independent oversight.
Inspections help us understand how care is being delivered in practice, what is working well and where improvements may be needed. They are designed to be fair, proportionate and to minimise disruption to people using services and to staff.
During an inspection, we gather evidence from a range of sources, including information provided by services, discussions with staff and leaders, conversations with people who use services and their families or carers, on-site observations and review of records and systems.
Inspections are carried out by our highly experienced inspection team, supported where appropriate by specialist external clinical and subject matter experts. They are usually planned and announced in advance so services can prepare appropriately and care delivery can continue safely and effectively. The length and focus of an inspection will vary depending on the type and complexity of the service, but it would be unusual for an inspection to last longer than ten days.
At the end of the inspection, we share initial feedback with service leaders and then produce an inspection report setting out our findings, including both good practice and areas for improvement.
All inspection reports are published on our website.
After each inspection, we publish an inspection report on our website setting out our findings. Reports highlight what is working well, where standards are being met and where improvements are identified.
We do not use ratings or scores in our reports. Instead, reports provide clear, evidence-based findings that give a meaningful picture of care quality and support transparency, accountability and continual improvement.
Providers are given the opportunity to review a draft report for factual accuracy and to provide a written response before the final report is published.
Inspection is one part of our wider regulatory role. Where areas for improvement are identified, reports set out the actions required and the timescales for improvement, and we continue to monitor progress through ongoing oversight.
Application Forms
Registered Provider and Registered Manager Guidance
Single Assessment Framework and Handbook
The Jersey Care Commissions remit has been expanded to regulate and inspect the Hospital, Mental Health and Ambulance Services. The Handbook explains the inspection approach, frequency, evidence used, and what happens before, during and after inspections, including how providers should prepare.
The Single Assessment Framework, is the core standards and detailed requirements that ensure services deliver care that is Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well‑led.
Service Specific Requirements
Service Specific Requirements (SSR’s) provide a more detailed level of standards, that address clinical needs and the unique challenges within different service settings.
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Service Specific Requirements
- Urgent and Emergency Care
- Surgical Services
- Psychological Therapies
- Outpatients
- Neonatal Services
- Mental Health Law Codes of Practice
- Memory Services
