Responding to the CQC's State of Care report 2012, David Worskett, chief executive of the NHS Partners Network, said:

"The CQC's State of Care report 2012 provides a very valuable, and independent, review of health and social care in England which enables all providers to assess the standard of care they provide.

"We are pleased that the independent sector has an increasing role in delivering NHS care. It is essential that the healthcare system is sustainable for the future and the ongoing involvement of the independent sector in the NHS is crucial to achieving this.

"It is absolutely right that this report focuses on dignity and respect. We are encouraged that almost all independent providers in hospitals (98 per cent) and community services (96 per cent) are meeting the required standard. Independent sector providers of NHS care in these sectors work extremely hard to deliver not only the highest standard of clinical care but also to ensure that other criteria, such as consent to care and treatment; cleanliness and infection control, and safeguarding from abuse, that are needed to deliver personalised care and that patients use to judge their care are also outstanding

"The NHS is facing unprecedented challenges and the old public sector monopolies are no longer the way to deliver the high quality cost effective care that patients expect and deserve. We know that the majority of the public think that NHS care would be best delivered by a diverse range of providers. We also know that most people don’t mind who provides their care as long as the quality is high and it remains free at the point of delivery. These results for the acute and community service sectors show that not only are patients now taking advantage of diversity, but that they are right to do so. To maximise the benefits for patients and the NHS as a whole it will be vital to continue to extend "Any Qualified Provider" so as to increase the range of choice and ensure that healthy competition improves quality and drives innovation."