Updated agreement between CQC and DHSC

5 Sep 2019 12:53 PM

CQC have updated our memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreement with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) around the inspection and monitoring of independent termination of pregnancy services.

It has been updated because policy responsibility for abortion at the DHSC is now led by the Healthy Behaviours Team. CQC also has a different Chief Executive to when the agreement was first made in 2015.

The agreement sets out how CQC and the DHSC’s Healthy Behaviours Team will work together to safeguard the wellbeing of people using independent termination of pregnancy services in England.

This includes a formal commitment to share information where either party becomes aware of a service that may be providing termination of pregnancy services without being appropriately registered with CQC and/or licensed with the DHSC.

In addition to ongoing liaison between the two organisations, CQC and the DHSC’s Healthy Behaviours Team will meet regularly to discuss any changes to inspection methodology of termination of pregnancy services and more general findings from published CQC inspection reports for the sector.

The agreement will be periodically reviewed to make sure it is relevant, up to date and effective.

Read the document

MoU between CQC and Department of Health Sexual Health Policy Team PDF | 189.98 KB