Third health chief inspector could be created, says CQC

18 Apr 13
A chief inspector of primary and integrated care could be appointed alongside the two posts already announced for hospitals and care homes following the problems at Mid Staffordshire hospital trust.

By Richard Johnstone | 18 April 2013

A chief inspector of primary and integrated care could be appointed alongside the two posts already announced for hospitals and care homes following the problems at Mid Staffordshire hospital trust.

Doctor and patient NHS Commissioning groups

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said last month that two new chief inspectors would be created in response to the findings of the public inquiry into care failings in Mid Staffordshire.

They will be based in the Care Quality Commission, which today said the third post was being considered to focus on patients’ experiences as they moved between different health care services.

Publishing its strategy for 2013 to 2016, Raising standards, putting people first, the CQC said the chief inspectors would improve the way services are regulated by making sure they focus on what matters to patients. The post of chief inspector for hospitals has already been advertised and the social care position was likely to be appointed in the autumn, a spokeswoman said.

The chief hospital inspector would lead to bigger, more expert inspection teams that would spend longer talking to patients, the strategy stated. The role will also include compiling Ofsted-style performance ratings for each hospital, based on whether they provided safe and effective health care, met fundamental standards of care and had good leadership, the strategy confirmed.

Quicker action would also be taken against hospital trusts that were failing. A specialist inspection team would be created to carry out in-depth reviews of NHS hospitals with ‘significant or long-standing problems’.

CQC chief executive David Behan said the plans took account of both the findings of the Mid Staffordshire public inquiry and the government’s response to it. The inquiry, chaired by Robert Francis and published in February, found patients at trust’s Stafford Hospital were routinely neglected, with the most basic care needs overlooked.

Behan said the commission had ‘looked closely at what we do and listened to what others have told us, to make sure we focus on what matters to them. People have a right to expect safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care. CQC plays a vital role in making sure that care services meet those expectations.’

Chair David Prior added that that the plan marked ‘an important moment for CQC’, which recognised it needed to improve. ‘We will work with those we regulate and our own staff to develop a better system of regulation and to build a high-performing organisation that is well run, has an open culture that supports its staff, and is focused on people.’

Responding to the strategy, the NHS Confederation said it was incredibly important that regulation commanded the confidence of both the public and the organisations it oversaw.

Chief executive Mike Farrar added: ‘The NHS needs effective and intelligent regulation, now more than ever as the health care system becomes more fragmented and the public look for assurances about their local services in the wake of the Francis report into the failings at Stafford Hospital.

‘It is clear the CQC is working hard to regain the confidence of the NHS and the public. This strategy shows a strong commitment to developing a system that is responsive, specialist in its sector and provides people with the information they need about the services they use. The CQC can enhance this by doing more to help promote good practice and encourage organisations to do more to learn from each other.’


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