CQC confirms new approach to inspections

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has confirmed how it will regulate, inspect and rate hospitals, community health services and mental health services in England.

Following a consultation earlier this year, it has published a range of documents designed to help providers of care services to understand how they will be assessed and rated from 1st October 2014.

The new style of inspection has been developed and tested since September 2013 using larger and more specialist teams of inspectors, experts by experience and members of the public with experience of hospital care.

Alongside its response to the consultation, the hospitals regulatory impact assessment and equality assessment, CQC is publishing new documents for the acute, mental health and community health sectors. 

Professor Sir Mike Richards, CQC's Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said: “The publishing of the provider handbooks marks an important milestone for CQC. During the past year, we have been testing our new style inspections in hospitals, mental health and community health services. We would like to thank everyone who took part in our consultation.

“We have listened to feedback and refined our approach to ensure that we’re consistent and our judgements are fair regardless of whether we're inspecting a large teaching hospital or a small community provider. The handbooks outline how we will be carrying out our inspections and rating providers based on whether services are outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.”

CQC is publishing a suite of documents including handbooks for NHS acute care providers, community health services and specialist mental health services.