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The Patients Association welcomes the announcement that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has launched a new consultation looking at its approach to regulation.

The CQC wants to hear from health groups, patients and the public on a number of proposals for developing its work over the next five years. This includes plans to implement a single view of quality, targeting and tailoring its inspection activity and accessing how well hospitals are using resources. 

Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients Association said: 

“The Patients Association is pleased that this consultation will give patients an opportunity to share their views on how the CQC can develop and improve. We know from calls to our National Helpline that patients feel inspections are an important tool for highlighting bad practice in the NHS. 

The Patients Association agrees with the implementation of a single view of quality. There must be a consistent and constant standard of what amounts to good practice to help expose services offering poor care. This will not only increase the transparency of the CQC’s work, but also empower patients by giving them information about how their local services are performing. 

It is vital that the CQC listens to the views of patients and healthcare providers during this consultation. We need an NHS that is safe and compassionate, and that has the interests of patients at its heart. We encourage the CQC to continue developing and improving its methods, so that good practice can be spread throughout the NHS.”

Notes to Editors: 

• The link to the CQC consultation can be found at: 

http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/2016-2021-strategy-consultation

• The Patients Association is an independent national health and social care charity established over 52 years ago, which has a long history of campaigning to ensure that the voice of patients is heard within the UK Health and Social care system

• For further information please contact Matthew Tisi, Communications & Public Affairs Officer, on 020 8423 9111, or email matthew@patients-association.com or call 07779 004898

• Visit our website at www.patients-association.org.uk