CARE QUALITY
COMMISSION News Release (PR 08) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 24 March 2009
Commenting on the
Ombudsman's report 'Six lives: the provision of public
services to people with learning disabilities', Barbara
Young, Chairman of the Care Quality Commission said: "We
welcome the recommendation addressed to us. CQC will be looking to
ensure that the new system of regulation for health and adult
social care provides effective assurance on the quality of care
not just for people with learning disabilities, but for the wider
range of people who find themselves in vulnerable situations -
including older people, people with physical disabilities, people
with mental ill health, and children.
"The report's finding that health and care
organisations failed to live up to human rights principles of
dignity and equality are most disturbing. CQC's approach will
be marked by its determination to put promote and protect the
rights and interests of everyone who uses services and we have a
wide range of enforcement powers to take action on their behalf if
services are unacceptably poor.
"The reports talks about services that fell far below
relevant standards. Our registration system will be designed to
ensure that essential standards of quality are met everywhere care
is provided, from hospitals to private care homes, and we work
towards their improvement.
"As the single regulator for health and adult social care we
will be able to look across services and examine how well services
work together. For example, one of our special reviews for the
coming year will be a study of how organisations are meeting the
physical health needs of people with mental health problems and
learning disabilities in hospital and residential settings."
Notes to Editors:
1.The Care Quality Commission was established by the Health and
Social Care Act 2008 to regulate the quality of health and adult
social care and look after the interests of people detained under
the Mental Health Act. It will bring together the Commission for
Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and the Mental
Health Act Commission. The Care Quality Commission became a legal
entity on 1 October 2008 and takes up its responsibilities for the
quality of health and adult social care on 1 April 2009.
2. The recommendation that refers to the Care Quality Commission
states: "those responsible for the regulation of health and
social care services (specifically the Care Quality Commission,
Monitor and the Equality and Human Rights Commission) should
satisfy themselves, individually and jointly, that the approach
taken in their regulatory frameworks and performance monitoring
regimes provides effective assurance that health and social care
organisations are meeting their statutory and regulatory
requirements in relation to the provision of services to people
with learning disabilities; and that they should report
accordingly to their respective Boards within 12 months of the
publication of the Ombudsmen's report.
Six Lives: the provision of public services to people with
learning disabilities can be downloaded at http://www.ombudsman.org.uk.
For further information or interview requests please contact 0300
061 4996.
3. The Care Quality Commission's manifesto, which sets out
its vision and values, can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk
4. The Care Quality Commission Chairman is Barbara Young and the
five Commissioners appointed to date are Professor Deirdre Kelly,
Dame Jo Williams, Olu Olasode, Kay Sheldon and Professor Martin Marshall.
5. For further information, please contact Alan Pickstock on 020
7633 4138