Response to CQC’s plans to “rebuild trust”
04/10/24
Yesterday the Care Quality Commission (CQC) announced plans to "rebuild trust" in their regulations following the interim report of the independent investigation by Dr Penny Dash.
The immediate priorities for the CQC are:
Finding a new Chief Executive and appointing 3 Chief Inspectors
Reviewing longer-term improvements to the Single Assessment Framework by Sir Mike Richards, informed by colleagues, providers, stakeholders, people who use services and the public
Pilot project on managing their relationship with providers
Pilot project on how operations managers manage teams
Internal improvements to increase the number of monthly assessments include:
Scoring at quality statement and rating at key question level. Assessments will still evaluate evidence categories to reach a quality statement score but we will not score evidence categories
Changing how they use tech to improve factual accuracy and report production
Discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care are ongoing regarding when they will commence their assessments of integrated care systems (ICSs) which are currently paused.
They are planning co-design with a range of people including the public on:
Designing what a rating of good looks like
Developing a clear and accessible regulatory handbook.
Helen Wildbore, Director of Care Rights UK, responded to the plans:
“CQC’s plans to ‘rebuild trust’ are a huge disappointment. Coming over two months after the interim Dash report found significant failings at CQC, people relying on care and health services deserve more than vague promises. The summary of changes entirely ignores people relying on services – the people who need CQC the most. We hear via our advice services how people feel ignored, invisible, and failed by CQC. We are disappointed to see little in the changes announced to remedy this. Where are the plans to rebuild trust with individuals, to show them that concerns will be acted upon and there will be accountability for poor care?”