The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has announced that independent hospitals will begin to be inspected under its new inspection approach. The chief inspector of hospitals, Sir Mike Richards has identified eight independent hospitals to be inspected. These vary in size and in the number and type of services they provide, including both NHS-funded care and solely private care.
The first new style inspections will allow CQC to test out its new model in different independent hospital settings. CQC will expect to receive equivalent information about performance to that it receives from NHS hospitals.
CQC’s new regulatory approach for the independent healthcare sector signals the first time that these providers will be awarded ratings (from April 2015). There will also be a significant increase in access to information that will help people who use the services to make decisions about their care.
The first inspections will take place from October to December 2014. They will include announced and unannounced elements and may include inspections in the evenings and weekends. Where there are failures in care, Sir Mike will highlight what needs to be addressed and will ask the hospitals to make sure a clear programme is put in place to deal with any problems.
