CQC latest
Last week (26 July), an independent review of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published its interim findings. It found that CQC had ‘significant internal failings.’
“I have been stunned by the extent of the failings of the institution that is supposed to identify and act on failings,’ said the Health Secretary Wes Streeting. “…it’s clear to me the CQC is not fit for purpose…”
Dr Penny Dash, author of the review report and chair of the North West London Integrated Care Board, identified that the internal failings saw CQC’s ability to identify poor performance at health and social care provisions was significantly reduced.
CQC responded to the findings with Kate Terroni, Interim Chief Executive saying: “We accept in full the findings and recommendations in this interim review, which identifies clear areas where improvement is urgently needed.”
The interim report showed a number of areas lacking:
- 1 in 5 of the locations that CQC has powers to inspect has never received a rating
- Some organisations not being reinspected for several years – with the oldest rating for a social care provider dating from 2015
- A lack of experience among some inspectors – with the review hearing of inspectors visiting hospitals and saying they had never been in a hospital before and an inspector of a care home who’d never met a person with dementia.
The Government has responded by:
- CQC appointing Professor Sir Mike Richards to review CQC assessment frameworks. He was CQC’s first Chief Inspector of Hospitals in 2013, retiring in 2017.
- For CQC to be clearer about how it determines its ratings for health and social care providers
- Increased government oversight of the CQC with regular updates on progress, to ensure recommendations in Dr Dash’s final review are implemented
- Dr Dash will be reviewing effectiveness of all patient safety organisations.
Prof Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, said: “This report acknowledges the severe and systemic problems that sit at the very heart of the CQC and gives a specific set of steps that the regulator must take to improve performance and re-establish…This is going to be a long and difficult journey for the CQC, but one that is entirely necessary.”
On 29 July SCA attended a CQC regulator approach advisory group meeting and heard in some detail how CQC intends to address its current failings.
In summary, CQC expressed a commitment to:
- Increase the number of inspections
- Enable far quicker registration
- Fix and improve the provider portal, which has not worked as intended
- Review the ratings system, and be transparent about how these are calculated
- Make changes to the single assessment framework, in co-production with others
- Hold co-provider workshops, so that they can learn what providers need
- Bring back the relationship between provider and local regulator
- Hold local engagement events around the country, so that providers can meet their local person and get practical and technical help with aspects of the portal
We watch with interest and will keep members updated.
- Find the full interim report here.