New CQC focus backed by NHS

The CQC said its core purpose of ensuring high-quality, safe care would not change, though it will change how it achieves this. Its strategy has four themes:

• People and communities – regulation that focuses on people’s needs and experiences, and what is important to them as they access, use and move between services.
• Smarter regulation – providing up-to-date and high-quality information and ratings by employing a more dynamic and flexible approach. There will be easier ways of working with CQC, and a more proportionate regulatory response.
• Safety through learning – enabling people to speak up to share learning and improvement opportunities.
• Accelerating improvement – encouraging health and care services, and systems to access support to help improve the quality of care where it’s needed most.

Two ‘core ambitions’ would run through each of the themes, the CQC added – assessing systems and pushing for equality of access, experiences and outcomes from services.

Artificial intelligence and data science techniques will be used to support the smarter regulation theme and proportionate decision-making. It will move away from the schedule of inspections to a more flexible, targeted approach.

CQC chief executive Ian Trenholm said: ‘Our purpose has never been clearer. In our assessments we will ensure that services actively take into account people’s rights and their unique perspectives on what matters to them. We will use our powers proportionately and act quickly where improvement is needed, while also ensuring we shine a positive light on the majority of providers who are setting high standards and delivering great care.’

He continued: ‘This is not a static strategy – we will continue working with others to understand any further improvements required as we implement these changes, to make sure we are protecting people, and with others, driving change.'

Assessment of systems was a fundamental change in its approach to regulation, and this was likely to be underpinned by the forthcoming health and social care bill.

Miriam Deakin (pictured), director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said trusts leaders will welcome the CQC's intention to shift towards smarter, more rounded and responsive regulation, particularly if this leads to less reliance on inspections and reduces the overall burden they face.

‘This is all the more important because the strategy is being launched against a backdrop of operational pressures arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, including the need to address the backlog of care, and the prospect of major legislative change.’

She also backed the system approach to be taken by the CQC, though she cautioned that it must complement the new NHS England and NHS Improvement system oversight process.

The regulator must ‘adopt a regular and constructive dialogue’ with trusts, she added. ‘Trust leaders are urging CQC to keep its plan under review as the strategic and operational environment in which trusts operate continues to evolve. Our regulation survey results and anecdotal feedback from our membership highlights worrying concerns that CQC's recent regulatory activity has not consistently taken into account the significant pressures frontline services have faced during the pandemic.’