Our updated human rights approach

Page last updated: 12 December 2023

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What are human rights?

The Human Rights Act contains 16 rights. These originate from the European Convention of Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 brings them into UK law.

Some of us may feel that human rights aren’t relevant to us, as they are often linked to issues such as crime, citizenship and migration, but they are protection for us all. Creating a legal framework for human rights protects our humanity – what makes us unique as human beings, through law. Our human rights need protecting most when we feel the least powerful and are relying on others for our basic needs – including when we are using health and care services. Where care is delivered in line with human rights legislation, it is by nature good quality – this is what we describe as rights-respecting care.

As a public authority, CQC is legally required to operate in ways that are compatible with the Human Rights Act 1998. Many of the fundamental standards in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 are related to human rights. As such, the Human Rights Act forms a legal contextual background to the regulations that we use.