09.08.17
NHSI and CQC to inspect trusts on how resources are used from autumn
Non-specialist acute trusts will be inspected and rated on how well they use their resources from this autumn, it has been revealed.
The regulator collected public views into delivering the changes earlier in the year and also tested the changes in seven trusts, and now NHS Improvement (NHSI) has published the confirmed ‘Use of Resources: assessment framework’ alongside a summary of responses to the consultation.
The document sets out the key lines of enquiry, prompts and rating characteristics that both the CQC and NHSI will use to review how effectively trusts are using their resources to provide high-quality, efficient and sustainable care.
New ‘use of resources’ assessments will be introduced from the autumn, and will be carried out by NHSI alongside scheduled inspections into quality and safety of care which are conducted by the CQC.
As with normal inspections, a report will be published by NHSI that recommends areas for improvement and rates how effectively resources are being used within the trust.
“Once agreed by CQC, the rating and report will be presented alongside the quality ratings that we already award to hospitals following our inspection on whether their services are safe, caring, effective, responsive to people’s needs and well-led,” a spokesperson for the CQC said.
“A further joint consultation is planned for later this year, which will explore whether and if so, how the ‘use of resources’ ratings could be combined with our ratings on quality.
“This work is part of the wider changes we are making to the way we monitor, inspect and rate NHS trusts, which includes fewer comprehensive inspections of whole NHS trusts and more inspections of the specific core services they provide, as well as working more closely with our partners to agree a ‘shared view of quality’.”
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