Health Secretary Wes Streeting has blasted England's healthcare watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), calling it "not fit for purpose" after a shocking interim report laid bare some serious failings. The report, by Dr. Penny Dash, highlighted issues that seriously hinder the CQC's ability to spot poor performance in hospitals, care homes, and GP practices.
Some key nuggets from the report:
- Inspection levels are still way below what they were before the pandemic.
- Around 20% of sites under the CQC's watch have never even been rated.
- Some places haven't been reinspected for years, with one hospital's rating being over a decade old.
- Inspectors often lack the necessary expertise, with some checking hospitals without any prior experience in such settings.
- There are inconsistencies in assessments and problems with the CQC's IT systems.
Streeting didn't hold back, saying, "I have been stunned by the extent of the failings of the institution that is supposed to identify and act on failings." He noted that this might understandably freak out patients and families who depend on CQC assessments for their healthcare choices.
- The CQC lacks experienced inspectors. Imagine sending someone to inspect a hospital who has never stepped inside one. We need inspectors who understand the environments they evaluate.
- The CQC has a massive backlog of assessments. One in five services have never been rated. Immediate action is required to clear this backlog and ensure all services are properly evaluated.
- Inconsistent assessments plague the CQC. How can anyone trust ratings that vary wildly? Standardised training and protocols must be established for all inspectors.
- The CQC’s ratings are not transparent. Can we trust a rating if we don’t know how it was achieved? Clear and transparent rating processes will build public trust.
- Some care home inspectors have never met a person with dementia. This is like asking a chef to cook without ever having tasted the ingredients. We need specialists who truly understand the conditions they are inspecting.
- Hospitals going a decade without inspection is unacceptable. What happens to standards in ten years of no oversight? Regular and frequent inspections are a must.
- Leadership changes alone won't fix the CQC. A new chief isn't a magic wand. Comprehensive systemic reform is needed, starting with ground-level improvements.
In light of these findings, the government has rolled out a plan to get regulation into shape and win back public trust:
- They've roped in Professor Sir Mike Richards, the CQC's first chief inspector of hospitals, to revamp the assessment framework.
- There's a push for more transparency in how the CQC dishes out ratings for health and social care providers.
- The CQC will now face increased scrutiny, with regular progress reports sent to the Department of Health and Social Care.
Kate Terroni, the CQC's interim chief executive, has taken the report on the chin, pledging to ramp up inspections and cook up a fresh approach to managing relationships with providers. The report's bombshell revelations have set off alarm bells about patient safety and the trustworthiness of current CQC ratings. Streeting has vowed to tackle this mess head-on and rebuild confidence in care assessments, stressing that the government "will never turn a blind eye to failure."equent inspections are a must.
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