Following on from the publication of interim findings in July, Dr Penny Dash’s full review of the Care Quality Commission has been released, confirming significant operational failings.
The interim report revealed a variety of shortcomings, ranging from hospital ratings dating back more than a decade to inspectors who had never been in a hospital before. This ultimately led to health secretary Wes Streeting declaring the CQC unfit for purpose.
Recommendations
The full report sets out seven key recommendations:
- Rapidly improve operational performance, fix the provider portal and regulatory platform, improve use of performance data within CQC, and improve the quality and timeliness of reports.
- Rebuild expertise within the organisation and relationships with providers in order to resurrect credibility.
- Review the Single Assessment Framework and how it is implemented to ensure it is fit for purpose, with clear descriptors, and a far greater focus on effectiveness, outcomes, innovative models of care delivery and use of resources.
- Clarify how ratings are calculated and make the results more transparent.
- Continue to evolve and improve local authority assessments.
- Formally pause integrated care system assessments.
- Strengthen sponsorship arrangements to facilitate CQC’s provision of accountable, efficient and effective services to the public.
The health secretary has thrown his support behind all these steps. “Patient safety is the bedrock of a healthy NHS and social care system,” he said.
“That’s why we are taking steps to reform the CQC, to root out poor performance and ensure patients can have confidence in its ratings once again.
Further investigations
Dr Dash will now move onto two further reviews on patient safety and quality, at the request of the health secretary. The first will focus on the roles and remits of six organisations and establish whether patient safety could be improved – the organisations include:
- CQC
- National Guardian’s Office
- Healthwatch England and the Local Healthwatch network
- Health Services Safety Investigations Body
- Patient Safety Commissioner
- NHS Resolution – specifically its quality and safety functions
A second review will centre around quality and governance. Both will inform the government’s 10-year health strategy.
“With two new reviews announced which will focus on patient safety and quality, trust leaders are ready and willing to work with the CQC and all other key organisations as they strive to provide high-quality services for patients and in their quest to keep improving and innovating,” said NHS Providers’ deputy CEO, Saffron Cordery.
The CQC recently announced the appointment of current NHS Providers CEO Julian Hartley to figurehead the organisation’s reforms.
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