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NHS regulation

Amidst all the revelation of poor standards, misdirected focus and inadequate/inappropriate regulation, the NHS has a great opportunity to take stock of its current levels and methods of regulation; to assemble and develop on the best of what it has.

The timing of these revelations is also beneficial. Only last year the NHSLA underwent a review which (inter alia) found value in their role and need for assessment. However, it did point to improvements in the method and content of the assessment. As a result the Litigation Authority is considering (over 13/14) the area of assessment to include a focus on outcomes. Allied to this is the contemplation of a more unified function between Monitor and CQC. 

My natural question is: ‘What is the possibility of creating one body that regulates and measures the processes and outcomes in healthcare which lead to good quality, safe patient care, having regard to the claim/risk intelligence and the finances which support this?’

I am under no delusion that this is not as simple as it may sound and will call for the removal of historic organisational silos and barriers. On the other hand we already have many parts to this jigsaw and not all are defunct. There is also the benefit to individual trusts of having one body (perhaps with sub focus workstreams) to respond to/inform, and from a national perspective an intelligence source that can synthesise information on all key material.

Underlying all of this and of critical importance is the need to handle the soft but powerful issue of culture within the very entrenched systems of the NHS.

I for one am willing to play my part.

Maria Arthur, Head of Governance and Legal Services, The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust

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