Call for improvements to cqc inspection and rating system

Published: 3 Jun 2014

Our response to the CQC consultation on its inspection and rating system for healthcare organisations, whilst welcoming the progress made so far, calls for some important improvements. These include ending the current practice which allows an organisation to be rated “good” overall even  if it is found to “require improvement” on patient safety. Earlier this year St Georges Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was rated ‘good’ overall in spite of being rated ‘requires improvement’ in patient safety. We argue that extra weight should be given to patient safety if it is really the top priority. We also call for compliance with Patient Safety Alerts to be taken more seriously; checking compliance with the new ‘Fundamental Standards’ to be central to the monitoring & inspection system; and better patient engagement drawing on the experience and expertise of national patients’ organisations. We make particular suggestions about how to monitor compliance with the new fundamental standard on the Duty of Candour.

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