NHS patient-safety system to be overhauled

The latest announcement coincides with the publication of the final report into the CQC review, led by Dr Penny Dash.

The CQC has been told to stop inspecting regional integrated-care systems, partnership bodies incorporating the whole health and care system in an area, and instead return to its original model of appointing chief inspectors to focus on individual areas such as hospitals, GPs and social care.

Dr Dash’s interim reports said the CQC lacked focus, with inexperienced inspectors some of whom had never been into a hospital before, while some care-home inspectors had never met a person with dementia.

She also identified a backlog of inspections, with some hospitals not having been inspected for 10 years.

But there are no plans to replace the single rating system – outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.

Matthew Taylor, of the NHS Confederation, which represents health services, welcomed the announcements.

The current model had “not been fit for purpose” for “far too long”, he said.

The CQC said it was taking “rapid action” in response to the findings, including introducing ways to simplify assessments across different parts of the health sector.

It plans to appoint three new chief inspectors to regulate hospitals, GP surgeries and adult social care services.

The organisation’s chair, Ian Dilks, said: “We are committed to rebuilding trust in CQC’s regulation and are taking action to make sure we have the right structure, processes, and technology in place.”