Care England, the leading voice of adult social care providers in
England, welcomes the candid insights presented in Dr. Penny
Dash's review into the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the
regulator for health and social care.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Care
England, said:
“The government may found the initial revelations in July
surprising, and the CQC may act as though these issues are only
just emerging; but the adult social care sector has been raising
the alarm for years, calling for urgent intervention from both
parties. The time for action is now. The sector can no longer
afford systematic delay from those accountable for the CQC's
failures.”
Dr. Penny Dash's independent review into the Care Quality
Commission (CQC) highlighted several critical issues, including:
- Poor operational performance and challenges with the provider
portal and regulatory platform.
- Poor presentation of reports and a loss of credibility within
the health and care sectors due to reduced sector expertise.
- Concerns surrounding the Single Assessment Framework (SAF),
including lack of clarity, inconsistency in care assessments, and
insufficient focus on outcomes and innovation.
- Lack of transparency in rating calculations, often relying on
outdated inspection data.
- Missed opportunities to enhance the CQC's role in improving
quality across the health and care sector.
- Concerns regarding CQC's early Integrated Care System (ICS)
assessments and opportunities to improve the CQC's relationship
with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The review also identified areas for further examination, such as
one-word ratings, CQC finances, and the wider regulatory
landscape.
Ultimately, the review sets forth seven key recommendations:
- Urgently improve operational performance, fix the provider
portal, and enhance report quality.
- Rebuild expertise and relationships to restore credibility.
- Revise the SAF with clear descriptors and a stronger focus on
effectiveness, outcomes, and innovation.
- Improve transparency in rating calculations.
- Evolve local authority assessments.
- Pause ICS assessments.
- Strengthen sponsorship arrangements to ensure CQC provides
accountable, efficient, and effective services.
In July, when Dr. Dash published the interim report, Kate
Terroni, the then interim Chief Executive of the CQC, issued an
apology for the errors made and the consequent erosion of trust
within the sector. She acknowledged that they've "made
mistakes" and expressed regret for the impact these errors
have had.
, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,
labelled the CQC as “not fit for purpose”, failing those
the organisation is meant regulate, and the individuals who rely
on these regulations to guarantee them safe, high-quality
care.
Martin Green continues:
“Dr. Penny Dash's report delivers a stark and unequivocal
verdict: the CQC has failed in its core mission to uphold the
quality and safety of care. This failure has not only
jeopardised the well-being of those who rely on the system
for essential support but has also let down the thousands of
providers which deliver that care. The CQC's inability to uphold
the standards it was created to enforce has fundamentally
undermined its credibility and eroded the trust placed
in it by both the sector and the public.
Sir Hartley will have the support of
Care England and the entire sector in his new role, but he must
act swiftly to re-establish credibility and trust. However, the
responsibility to do this extends beyond the Chief Executive; the
CQC Board must also take full accountability for the
organisation's failure. The sector demands immediate action to
restore confidence, and decisive leadership is essential to
rectify the situation and secure a better future for service
users and care providers alike.
Our message to the CQC is clear: work with us to rebuild a
system that genuinely prioritises quality, safety, and
trust. This effort must include addressing internal
shortcomings and engaging meaningfully with both care
providers and service users alike to ensure their voices and
concerns are not just heard but acted upon. Together, we
can establish a regulatory environment that is transparent,
supportive, and truly effective; restoring faith in the system
and upholding the high standards of care that everyone
deserves.”
Following publication of the full report, , The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,
has now asked Dr Dash to conduct two further reviews moving her
focus from operational effectiveness to patient safety and
quality of the CQC, and five other organisations.
Reacting to this announcement, Martin Green concluded:
"While it's encouraging to see further reviews focusing on
patient safety and quality, these must not become a reason to
delay taking immediate action on the findings from today. The
critical issues identified in this review are clear, and the CQC
cannot afford to wait any longer to implement meaningful reforms.
Immediate steps are needed to restore trust and ensure that both
providers and service users are no longer left in limbo, and
paying for services they are not receiving."
