20.05.20
CQC publishes its first insight document into Covid-19 pressures
In order to help share insight, ask key questions and encourage collaboration throughout the UK health sector, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published the first of its insight document into pressures caused by the current coronavirus outbreak.
The document covers unique pressures faced by the sectors regulated by the CQC and draws on information gathered through direct feedback from staff and those receiving care, through the CQC’s new regular data collection from services providing care for people in their own homes and insight from our regular conversations with providers and partners.
Information collected from these sources in then being used to better understand the wider impact of Covid-19 in order to share regular updates with local, regional and national system partners and the Department of Health and Social Care, highlighting any emerging trends or issues.
Having developed an Emergency Support Framework for use during coronavirus, which continues to impact the CQC’s routine inspections, it provides a structure for the conversations occurring between providers and the organisation. It also allows for the escalation of concerns either to inform system partners, target additional support and resource which is required or to trigger inspections.
The first insight document published by the CQC focuses on adult social care: reviewing data on outbreaks, deaths and availability of PPE, in particular highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on staff wellbeing and the financial viability of adult social care services.
READ THE FULL CQC INSIGHT DOCUMENT HERE
The need for the whole system to be working harmoniously across different sectors to ensure safer care is more acute now than it has ever been, with the report outlining future areas for focus, including infection control within and between services and how local systems are engaging with social care organisations in the management of Covid-19.
CQC Chief Executive Ian Trenholm said: "This new insight document begins to gather together what providers are telling us about the impact of COVID-19 – information gathered through direct feedback from staff and people receiving care, from our new regular data collection from services who provide care for people in their own homes, and insight from our regular conversations with providers and partners.
"We’re already sharing this information with local, regional and national system partners to help target support – and using it to take action to keep people safe where needed. Where providers are reporting pressures and challenges, we want to increase visibility and ask questions about what needs to happen to help alleviate them.
"This is very much a developing product – it will undoubtably change and evolve with future publications. We don’t have all the answers, but we want to share what we know to help find solutions – because we are all now operating in an environment where the need to act quickly and collaboratively has never been more important."