26.01.12
One step at a time
Inspection is only ‘one piece of the puzzle’, according to the NHS Confederation’s Mike Farrar, and a wider view must be taken to ensure intelligent and effective regulation.
He suggests that a variety of tools should be used to ensure a complete picture of trusts’ performance and quality of care.
Of course, the more different strands of research available, the more in-depth an understanding of their standards can be achieved. In this way, inspections do not consider all the work that goes on behind the scenes the rest of the time.
But at a time when the CQC is being heavily criticised, perhaps branching out to multiple methods of regulation is too much to ask. Simply getting inspections right should be the primary focus before seeking to do over and above.
However, Farrar may be on to something when he suggests that a major reform of monitoring is not the right course of action. With so much other distraction and change currently in the NHS, working with what we currently provide will be more beneficial than overhauling yet another system.
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