A new report looking into how the Care Quality Commission can enhance its approach to regulation has been launched today by NHS Providers.
Through the Good quality regulation: How CQC can support trusts to deliver and improve report, NHS Providers has identified a number of ways that the Care Quality Commission can improve to ensure that it is engaging with trusts in a support and constructive way. This was compiled thanks to extensive research that was conducted in response to feedback from trust leaders that showed a reduction in confidence in the body.
As part of the report, NHS Providers is calling for changes to place more emphasis on facilitation innovation and improvement within care providers. This was accompanied by ten recommendations for updates to the CQC’s approach, including:
- Building the relationships between local teams and providers
- Improving behaviours, attitudes and training of inspection teams
- Reflecting challenging operational circumstances better in reports
- Producing a more accurate picture of quality by leveraging the new assessment framework
- Conducting a review into the effectiveness of single-word ratings
NHS Providers Chief Executive Sir Julian Hartley said:
"Our report highlights the vital importance of collaborative and transparent relationships between regulators and healthcare providers.
"Effective regulation should not only ensure high-quality healthcare services but also support providers in their journey towards improvement and innovation.
"The recommendations aim to improve regulation by promoting right-touch regulation principles and enhancing the credibility of inspection activities.
"We urge CQC to fully embrace these recommendations and work collaboratively with providers to build trust and confidence in the regulatory framework, which will ultimately help ensure the high-quality care that patients deserve."
Also outlined in the report is an emphasis on the importance of “right-touch” regulation principles, with these including proportionality, consistency, transparency, and agility.
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