CQC announce three-year plan to improve UK care standards

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said that they will be improving the inspection part of their duties by introducing larger and more knowledgeable inspection teams that will be able to spend more time talking to people who are in hospital.

The CQC was established in 2009 as a non-departmental public body of the UK government, charged with the duty to regulate and inspect social and health care services in England. They are continually looking to make sure that the health care needs of the public are met, such as making sure that stairlifts in hospitals are working, or if patients are getting the nourishment they need from adequate supplies of food and water.

A plan for the next three years was recently launched by the CQC, and officials have gone on to make a number of promises. Representatives of the CQC have said that they will firmly be positioning themselves on the side of patients and will be publishing better information that is accessible by the public. They are aiming to help members of the public both find and understand their reports, including their ratings of services.

David Prior, chair of the CQC, announced that the publishing of this plan is an important moment for the Care Quality Commission and that they have recognised the changes they need to make so that they can "build a high-performing organisation". Chief executive David Behan added that the people of England deserve "safe, effective, compassionate, high quality care", and the outlined plan will be influential in making this happen.

They admit that regulation and inspection are not the only things needed to achieve high quality health and social care, and the CQC have encouraged care professionals, clinical staff, those who organise local services and providers of walk in showers and baths and other mobility aids to keep up high standards. Providers have been warned that if they fall below the bar set by the CQC, immediate action will be taken to protect the public and deal with the problems.

Some of the other aims that are included in the three-year plan will be to use information and evidence gathered in inspections more effectively so that a quick response can begin for failing services. The CQC also wants to change the way it inspects caring environments, making sure that the aspects that matter most to the people using the service are dealt with, so that safe, effective and well-led care will be enjoyed by all members of the UK public.

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