WIREDGOV

Throughout 2025, we have been working to rebuild CQC, getting back to our purpose of providing effective regulation of health and adult social care services.

While we have made notable progress, we recognise there is still more to do.  We have set out our plan for the next phase of activity, continuing into 2026 and beyond.

In January 2025, we committed to tackling the most critical issues that affect the way we carry out assessments and how we regulate services.

Clearing stuck assessments

At the start of 2025, around 500 assessment reports were waiting to be processed. We have reduced this backlog to just 4.

Carrying out more assessments

In April 2025, we set a target to publish 9,000 assessments by September 2026. To date, 4,308 assessments have been published, putting us ahead of target. In November 2025, we had completed 50% more assessments than in November 2024.

Reducing registration delays

We increased the number of registration inspectors to address the backlog of applications. We also delivered a pilot to improve homecare registration, focusing on speed, clearer guidance and better decision-making. We are rolling these changes out across other sectors to further improve the registration process.

We have begun testing a simpler registration form and improving online guidance to create a smoother, more transparent experience.

Improving how we handle information of concern

We have reduced the overall backlog of information-of-concern cases, including clearing the backlog reported to the Health and Social Care Committee in January 2025.

We made improvements to internal processes for triaging, assuring and closing safety concerns, and published new internal guidance to support consistent decision-making.

Re-establishing a credible regulatory structure

We have restructured CQC into operational inspectorates built around sector expertise, led by 4 Chief Inspectors: Professor Bola Owolabi CBE, Primary Care and Community Services, Dr Toli Onon, Hospitals (Secondary and Specialist Care), Chris Badger, Adult Social Care and Integrated Care, and Dr Arun Chopra, Mental Health. Arun is currently in the position of Interim Chief Executive, with Chris Dzikiti as Interim Chief Inspector of Mental Health.

This new structure:

• puts sector expertise back at the heart of regulation
• better reflects the needs of the public and providers
• creates strong, consistent leadership to support sustained improvement.

Blog: An end of year message from our chief inspectors

Strengthening the wider senior leadership team

This year we also appointed a new Chair, Professor Sir Mike Richards, recruited new Non-Executive Directors and appointed a Chief Digital, Data and Registration Officer, Esther Provins and an Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services, Chris Usher.

Together, these appointments provide the specialist leadership needed to rebuild CQC as a trusted and credible regulator.

Improving our assessment framework

We have worked to address the concerns raised in external reviews of our current ways of working by Dr Penny Dash, Professor Sir Mike Richards, and the Care Provider Alliance. The changes aim to create a clearer, simpler, and more trusted framework, built through engagement, collaboration, and co‑design with those who deliver services and the public.

Over the last year we have engaged colleagues, providers, stakeholders and the public across England to inform development of improvement proposals. The proposals were across 2 areas of focus:

• developing our frameworks and guidance for assessing providers
• changing our methods for inspecting, assessing and awarding ratings to health and care services.

Our consultation, Better regulation, better care, received over 1,600 responses, which we will use to refine our approach.

Clear data, stronger regulation

We've been improving our data to make it more accurate, accessible and useful across CQC. This work ensures better decisions, stronger regulatory targeting and greater transparency – ultimately helping to keep people safe.

Our work to date has largely been internally-focused to learn what's working and what's not, improve data literacy and ensure our colleagues have the right tools. In 2026, there will be opportunities for our partners, stakeholders, providers and people who use services to ensure we collectively make the best use of data to drive improvement in health and social care.

Looking ahead: a clear, sequenced improvement plan

In November 2025, we shared our plan for 2026 to 2028, which sets out our direction across our rebuilding priorities.

We will take time to pause and reflect, ensuring we are ready to move to the next phase while working collaboratively with providers and the public.

Next steps for 2026 are:

• responding to feedback from our public consultation and continuing conversations to hear how we can support ongoing improvements
• redesigning our regulatory framework
• testing new methodology and technology to support the new assessment framework
• co-designing new digital and technology systems to support our whole regulatory process, including improving the provider portal and digitising our registration process
• setting out a clear and consistent approach for managing relationships between CQC and providers
• publishing and implementing new assessment frameworks
• continuing to strengthen our registration processes by rolling out the homecare pilot across other sectors.

How to get involved

There will be opportunities to get involved in co-designing our new technology and data systems. We’ll share more details through our regular newsletters and bulletins.

Improving how we work