The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has apologised for failing to keep patients ‘safe’ and pledged to ‘put things right’.
CQC’s interim chief execute Kate Terroni put out an apology on 15 July, saying the regulator ‘got things wrong in the implementation of our new regulatory approach’. She described recent changes as ‘not what we promised’, making things ‘more difficult than they should be’.
Some of the issues discussed in the apology include technical problems with the provider portal, delays in registration and changes to communication which have left providers feeling ‘unsupported’.
According to the Health Service Journal, Kate Terroni also produced a problem statement which states: ‘The way we work is not working.’
The statement continues: ‘We are not consistently keeping people who use services safe. Our people are not able to effectively identify and manage risk and encourage improvement and innovation. Our organisational structure, flow of decision making, roles, internal and external relationships do not promote a productive and credible way of working.’
‘We didn’t listen properly’
Kate Terroni said that many of the current problems had been predicted or flagged by both providers and CQC staff. She said: ‘We didn’t listen properly or take on board these concerns, and that’s why we’re where we are now.’
She added: ‘I know that, for some of you, we’ve lost your trust because of this. I’m sorry.’
The interim chief executive also described three ‘urgent and immediate’ areas of action to address the problems. These were:
- Improve how the CQC uses its regulatory approach – improved support and guidance, increased assessments and more registration staff
- Fix and improve the CQC provider portal
- Rethink our ways of working – including a ‘new approach to relationship management’.
Kate Terroni said that these improvements were ‘just the start’. She said: ‘We have the strategy, great people, and honest feedback from partners to enable us to be the strong regulator that people who use health and care need us to be. Getting these changes right will help providers deliver better care.’
‘A hugely significant move’
FMC content director Guy Hiscott said: ‘Ms Terroni’s acknowledgment of the CQC’s failings is a welcome – if overdue – move. The implementation of the new provider portal has been anything but smooth, and launching with something so clearly unfit for purpose has caused no end of stress for dental teams. These issues carry a patient cost too – the enormous backlog of new registrations will not have helped the UK’s oral health crisis at a point where access is already at an all-time low.
‘I’m looking forward to the planned improvements making a difference to dental professionals’ lives.
‘At the same time, I think we need to recognise what a hugely significant move this is. An apology from a regulator is no mean feat – so I applaud Ms Terroni for her honesty and openness. If this is a measure of what we can expect from the CQC going forwards then it bodes well for the future.’
Government review
In May, it was announced that CQC would face a government review into its ‘operational effectiveness’. Commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, the review was expected to examine:
- The effectiveness of the CQC’s new assessment framework
- Whether the regulator’s ratings are effective in incentivising the improvement of care
- How the CQC takes into account the voices of patients and service-users
- How the CQC’s new assessment framework links to NHS England’s inspection framework.
The new CQC single assessment framework was launched on 13 May 2024.
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