Care Quality Commission

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CQC redirects here. For Close Quarters Combat, see Close Quarters Battle.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Functions 3 Registration of care providers 4 Chair 5 References

[edit] Introduction

The regulation of health and adult social care in England is currently carried out by the Healthcare Commission and the Commission for Social Care Inspection. The Mental Health Act Commission has monitoring functions with regard to the operation of the Mental Health Act 1983.

The Health and Social Care Bill 2007-08^[1] will replace these three bodies and create a single, integrated regulator for health and adult social care - the Care Quality Commission^[2]. Subject to the passing of the Bill by Parliament, the Care Quality Commission will begin operating in April 2009 as a non-departmental public body.

[edit] Functions

The Bill proposes the new Commission's functions in assuring safety and quality, performance assessment of commissioners and providers, monitoring the operation of the Mental Health Act and ensuring that regulation and inspection activity across health and adult social care is co-ordinated and managed.

The new system will enable a joined up regulation for health and social care, helping to ensure better outcomes for the people who use services. There are already many good examples of integrated health and social care delivery so the creation of a single regulatory system will fit with this.

Health and social care providers - including, for the first time, NHS providers - will be required to register with the new regulator in order to provide services (see below). The registration requirements that all providers must meet will be consistent across both health and adult social care and will be the subject of a forthcoming consultation. Focussing regulation on the levels of safety and quality that those who use services care most about will help ensure that patients, users and vulnerable groups are protected.

For staff working in provider organisations, the new regulatory system will provide a much clearer system of exactly which requirements they must meet in order to provide services. The risk-based approach means that regulation activity will be targeted where action is required.

The Bill gives the Commission a wider range of enforcement powers along with flexibility on how, and when to use them. This will allow the regulator greater powers to achieve compliance with registration requirements - including requirements relating to infection control. The Commission will be able to apply specific conditions to respond to specific risks - such as requiring a ward or service to be closed until safety requirements met, as well as being able to suspend or de-register services where absolutely necessary.

Bringing the functions of the Mental Health Act Commission into the remit of the Care Quality Commission will strengthen the monitoring of the Mental Health Act, and offer increased oversight of the treatment of patients subject to compulsory detention.

[edit] Registration of care providers

All health and adult social care providers that come within the future scope of registration will be required to register with the Care Quality Commission. In order to be granted registration, care providers will need to demonstrate that they can meet, or are already meeting, the registration requirements. To maintain their registration they will need to demonstrate an ongoing ability to meet the requirements.

A registration system for social care and independent health providers already exists under the Care Standards Act 2000, but there is no such system for the NHS. The new registration system will incorporate providers from all sectors into a single system. In developing the new registration system and its requirements both the Government and the Care Quality Commission will build on the experience of the current commissions and service providers in operating under the existing system and against the current standards.

The Department of Health is currently consulting on which health and adult social care services should require registration with the Care Quality Commission; and what the requirements for registration should be. The consultation^[3] runs until 17 June 2008.

[edit] Chair

On 15 May 2008, the Department of Health announced that Baroness Young of Old Scone, Barbara Young, had been appointed as shadow Chair of the Care Quality Commission^[4]. The announcement followed an independent recruitment exercise conducted by the Appointments Commission and a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing by the Health Select Committee, which subsequently endorsed Barbara Young for appointment. Baroness Young is currently the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency.

[edit] References