The Act provided for the regulation of the social care workforce. It established an independent regulatory body for social care and private and voluntary healthcare services.
The government set out actions to improve working practices, local management and training in social care, and introduced the idea of a Social Care Institute for Excellence.
The report of an inquiry into the emergence of – and response to – BSE in cattle and vCJD in humans criticised the way the government handled the crisis.
Labour focused on expanding choice for NHS patients, introducing the concept of 'foundation hospitals' for top performing trusts and several 'choice' pilots.
