Wes Streeting has branded the healthcare regulator “not fit for purpose” after a shock investigation found it is failing to protect patients from harm.
The Health Secretary said he was “astonished” to learn that one in five care providers has never received a rating from the Care Quality Commission.
In addition, some hospitals, GP practices and nursing homes have not been re-inspected for more than ten years.
The CQC says it ensures health and social care services provide people with “safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care” by checking and inspecting what they do. But the independent review by Dr Penny Dash found that fewer than half the number of inspections were carried out last year than in 2019/20.
Those carrying out the inspections also have a worrying lack of experience. Some inspectors said they had never been to a hospital before, and one inspector who visited care homes had never met a person with dementia.
Wes Streeting (pictured) has called the healthcare watchdog ‘not fit for purpose’
The Health Secretary said he was ‘astonished’ to learn that one in five care providers has never received a rating from the Care Quality Commission (file image)
The CQC says it ensures health and social care services provide people with ‘safe, effective, compassionate and high quality care’ by monitoring and inspecting what they do (file image)
Dr Dash, chair of the North West London Integrated Care Board, was commissioned to conduct the inquiry by former Health Secretary Victoria Atkins in May.
Mr Streeting has ordered the publication of an interim report, saying urgent action is needed to improve regulation and ensure transparency.
He said: ‘When I joined the department it was already clear that the NHS was broken and the social care system was in crisis.
‘But I am appalled by the extent of the failings of the agency that is supposed to identify and act on failings. It is clear to me that the CQC is not fit for purpose.’
Experts have previously raised concerns that the CQC failed to expose wrongdoing at trusts that later became embroiled in major scandals.
The Dash review identified ‘significant internal weaknesses’ that hamper the ability to identify poor performance. These include too few inspections, a lack of clinical expertise among inspectors, a lack of consistency in assessments and problems with the CQC’s IT system.
Dr Dash said: ‘The contents of my interim report underline the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the CQC.’
Mr Streeting said the government would now take immediate steps to restore public confidence in the regulator. These include increased oversight, greater transparency in how the regulator determines its assessment of providers and a review of assessment frameworks.
Dr. Dash will publish her full report in the fall.