The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is committed to rebuilding trust and enhancing its regulatory processes.  In a recent update, Kate Terroni, Interim Chief Executive, outlined the strides CQC is making to address its priority areas for improvement.  This update marks the first in a series of regular communications aimed at keeping stakeholders informed of the ongoing progress.

Enhancing Relationship Management with Providers

One of the key areas of focus is strengthening CQC’s local relationships with providers.  As part of this effort, CQC has initiated a pilot program in the NHS sector, set to launch on 16 September.  This new approach aims to foster more transparent and supportive interactions between providers and CQC’s local assessment teams.  A central component of the pilot is the introduction of a named provider oversight lead, serving as a single point of contact to streamline communication and build trust.  CQC is currently finalising the pilot areas and will soon provide detailed information to the involved NHS trusts.

As this pilot progresses, CQC plans to expand its work to other sectors, ensuring that the approach is co-designed to meet the specific needs of different healthcare environments.

Ensuring Expertise at All Levels

CQC recognises the importance of having the right expertise within its organisation to effectively understand and regulate the services providers offer.  To this end, CQC is reintroducing the role of three Chief Inspectors and is actively working on recruitment.  Additionally, changes are being made to the roles within assessment teams, with a return to the single inspector model to increase inspection capacity.  CQC is also evaluating the need for additional specialists in inspection teams and is reaching out to former CQC colleagues who possess the necessary expertise.

Increasing the Frequency of Assessments

CQC’s primary responsibility is to provide the public, providers, and stakeholders with the most current and accurate assessment of service quality.  Current modelling indicates that the number of assessments being conducted is insufficient to fulfil this role effectively.  To address this, CQC is focusing on developing and implementing new methods that will enable a greater number of high-quality assessments each year.  While details on the frequency of assessments were initially expected to be published in August, ongoing improvements necessitate additional time.  Updates on this front will be shared as soon as they are available.

Development of a Regulatory Handbook and Provider Portal

CQC is in the process of developing a comprehensive regulatory handbook and improved guidance for providers.  This resource will outline what constitutes ‘good’ care in each sector and clarify what providers can expect during an inspection.  Feedback from providers and CQC staff has been instrumental in shaping the content of the handbook, and further engagement sessions will be held to co-design this resource.

In parallel, CQC acknowledges the challenges some providers have faced with the new provider portal.  Providers are encouraged to continue using the portal for submitting notifications, but if difficulties arise, email submissions remain an option.

A Commitment to Partnership and Quality Care

All these efforts are part of CQC’s broader mission to ensure that health and social care services deliver safe, effective, compassionate, and high-quality care.  CQC is dedicated to working in partnership with service users, providers, and colleagues to achieve this shared goal.

Updates on CQC’s progress will continue to be provided in the coming weeks and months as part of their ongoing commitment to transparency and improvement.