The body that monitors health provision in England, the Care Quality Commission, has launched its formal consultation on the next phase of regulation. The aim of the consultation is to have a more targeted and responsive approach to regulation so better health outcomes are achieved.
The consultation is split into two set of proposals:
1. A review of the regulated sector including:
– A reduction in the number of assessment frameworks from 11 to two – one for health services and another for adult social care
– A set of principles to guide the CQC when regulating a changing landscape of care provision
– Updated guidance for registering services for people with a learning disability and/or autism.
2. The other review will set out guidance for monitoring, inspecting, rating and reporting on NHS trusts from April 2017, including:
The use of information gathered through ongoing monitoring of trusts and improved relationship management.
An annual information request for all NHS trusts that will requiring them to describe their own quality based on five CQC questions. This information will feed into ‘CQC Insight’ and the wider intelligence held about the trust and used to help inform where and when to inspect.
Greater alignment with NHS Improvement to avoid duplication and support trusts to meet the dual challenges of quality and efficiency.
The consultation runs until the 14 February 2017 and you can express your views by clicking here or tweet using the hashtag #CQCnextphase.