26 April 2002
In last week's Budget, Chancellor Gordon Brown announced the introduction of 'tough' new regulators for health and social care in the public and private sectors. They will report annually to Parliament.
Health Secretary Alan Milburn later expanded the government's plans. He said a new Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (Chai) would raise standards through regular inspection of hospitals in the public and private sectors.
'The commission will assess the performance of every part of the NHS so the public will see every extra pound in the NHS buys something better for patients, gets something more for taxpayers,' Milburn added.
King's Fund chief executive Rabbi Julia Neuberger said regulation would be more coherent in the new system.
But she added: 'The government should now work towards a single funding and regulatory system for all health and social care. For the millions of people who use both health and social services, the gaps between them are meaningless.'
Chai is seen as an expansion of the Commission for Health Improvement (Chi), which will take on the Audit Commission's value-for-money work and the National Care Standards Commission's private hospital inspection.
The new Commission for Social Care Inspection will take over the work of the Social Services Inspectorate and the larger division of the NCSC, which deals with inspections of care homes and services.
PFapr2002
