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| Patients' views at heart of hospital inspections plan, says care regulator | Patients' views at heart of hospital inspections plan, says care regulator |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Information from patients and whistleblowers will play a key role in triggering new Ofsted-style inspections of hospitals, under proposals to overhaul the way health and social care is regulated. | Information from patients and whistleblowers will play a key role in triggering new Ofsted-style inspections of hospitals, under proposals to overhaul the way health and social care is regulated. |
| The views of people who use services will become one of the most important sources of information used by new specialist teams when deciding which hospitals to inspect, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said. | The views of people who use services will become one of the most important sources of information used by new specialist teams when deciding which hospitals to inspect, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said. |
| Inspections could last 20 days or longer, with those rated as inadequate inspected "as often as required", and those deemed to require improvement inspected at least once a year, the independent regulator has proposed. | Inspections could last 20 days or longer, with those rated as inadequate inspected "as often as required", and those deemed to require improvement inspected at least once a year, the independent regulator has proposed. |
| The new inspection regime for hospitals will start in October, with mental health and learning disability services to follow, under the proposals put forward for consultation. | The new inspection regime for hospitals will start in October, with mental health and learning disability services to follow, under the proposals put forward for consultation. |
| The plans come after recommendations by the Francis inquiry into failings at the Mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust. | The plans come after recommendations by the Francis inquiry into failings at the Mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust. |
| David Behan, the CQC chief executive, said: "This consultation is a critical step towards making root and branch changes to regulation. These proposals put CQC firmly on the side of people who use services. | David Behan, the CQC chief executive, said: "This consultation is a critical step towards making root and branch changes to regulation. These proposals put CQC firmly on the side of people who use services. |
| "We have listened to what people have said is important to them about services and used this to form these proposals, but there is a huge amount of detail to decide on before we can move to the next step. We are determined to make the right changes to help us make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care." | "We have listened to what people have said is important to them about services and used this to form these proposals, but there is a huge amount of detail to decide on before we can move to the next step. We are determined to make the right changes to help us make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care." |
| David Prior, the CQC chairman, said: "These changes mark a break from the past for the CQC. We have not been looking at the right things when we have inspected hospitals and we have not had the right level of clinical expertise to get under the skin of organisations. | David Prior, the CQC chairman, said: "These changes mark a break from the past for the CQC. We have not been looking at the right things when we have inspected hospitals and we have not had the right level of clinical expertise to get under the skin of organisations. |
| "These proposals firmly put patients at the heart of what we do. It should mean that when someone goes into hospital they have confidence that the hospital is getting the basic aspects of care right – the kind of care we all have a right to expect. These standards were not met at Stafford hospital. | "These proposals firmly put patients at the heart of what we do. It should mean that when someone goes into hospital they have confidence that the hospital is getting the basic aspects of care right – the kind of care we all have a right to expect. These standards were not met at Stafford hospital. |
| "Our inspectors will focus on things that are meaningful to people, not on bureaucratic processes. They will not tick boxes but miss the point." | "Our inspectors will focus on things that are meaningful to people, not on bureaucratic processes. They will not tick boxes but miss the point." |
| Under the proposals CQC surveillance teams will assess risk at hospitals based on three sets of information. | |
| The first set will include details of mortality rates, "never" events – serious, largely preventable incidents – and results from staff and patient surveys, as well as information from the public. | The first set will include details of mortality rates, "never" events – serious, largely preventable incidents – and results from staff and patient surveys, as well as information from the public. |
| This information could trigger action by inspectors. Inspectors would judge a service using five key questions on whether a service is safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs and well-led. | This information could trigger action by inspectors. Inspectors would judge a service using five key questions on whether a service is safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs and well-led. |
| The CQC has also proposed a clearer and more effective test to hold named directors to account for their legal commitments to deliver safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care. | The CQC has also proposed a clearer and more effective test to hold named directors to account for their legal commitments to deliver safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care. |
| Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "We must do more to provide easy to understand, timely and meaningful information for the public and patients on the quality of local services. It is essential that the ratings system developed by the CQC fully recognises the complexity of NHS organisations and reflects what patients need to know about their care. | Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "We must do more to provide easy to understand, timely and meaningful information for the public and patients on the quality of local services. It is essential that the ratings system developed by the CQC fully recognises the complexity of NHS organisations and reflects what patients need to know about their care. |
| "Regulators and other national organisations must be careful that new proposals do not create a duplication of information, taking up valuable staff time and diverting resources away from care – that is in no one's interest." | "Regulators and other national organisations must be careful that new proposals do not create a duplication of information, taking up valuable staff time and diverting resources away from care – that is in no one's interest." |