CQC under scrutiny as regulator ‘not fit for purpose’
A lack of clinical expertise among inspectors is one of the reasons why the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is failing, an independent review has warned.
The interim findings of the review have today been released by the government and identified “significant internal failings” affecting the regulator’s ability to do its job.
“It’s clear to me the CQC is not fit for purpose”
Wes Streeting
The review is being led by Dr Penny Dash, chair of the North West London Integrated Care Board, and got underway in May 2024.
Since then, Dr Dash has spoken to around 200 clinicians, managers and carers from the health and social care sector, as well as more than 50 managers and advisors at the CQC.
Her findings to date include concerns about a lack of appropriate healthcare experience and knowledge among inspectors.
For example, Dr Dash warned that some hospital inspectors had never been to a hospital before, and one care home inspector had never met a person with dementia.
She also found that some organisations were going far too long between inspections, up to 10 years, while some services had never received a rating.
There was also a “lack of consistency in assessments” and problems had been identified with the CQC’s IT system.
Dr Dash determined that the regulator was “currently unable to consistently and effectively judge the quality of health and care services, including those in need of urgent improvement”.
In response to the interim findings, the government has stepped in to increase oversight of the CQC.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said the CQC was “not fit for purpose”.
“When I joined the department, it was already clear that the NHS was broken and the social care system in crisis,” said Mr Streeting.
“But I have been stunned by the extent of the failings of the institution that is supposed to identify and act on failings. It’s clear to me the CQC is not fit for purpose.”
“We are working at pace and in consultation with our stakeholders to rebuild that trust”
Kate Terroni
In the wake of the criticism, the CQC has appointed medical leader and former cancer doctor Professor Sir Mike Richards to review its assessment frameworks.
Commenting on her findings so far, Dr Dash said: “The contents of my interim report underscore the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the CQC.
“By addressing these failings together, we can enhance the regulator’s ability to inspect and rate the safety and quality of health and social care services across England.”
The CQC’s interim chief executive, Kate Terroni, said the regulator accepted the findings and recommendations of the interim report in full.
“Many of these align with areas we have prioritised as part of our work to restore trust with the public and providers by listening better, working together more collaboratively and being honest about what we’ve got wrong,” she added.
“We are working at pace and in consultation with our stakeholders to rebuild that trust and become the strong, credible and effective regulator of health and care services that the public and providers need and deserve.”
The findings about the CQC come amid a separate crisis embroiling the nursing regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, in relation to its internal culture.
