UK health regulator apologises for ‘new regulatory approach’

The UK health regulator has publicly apologised for reforms to the oversight of tens of thousands of hospitals, care homes, dentists and GPs.

The apology from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) came after care homes complained about a “hostile” inspection regime and a major new computer system that was not working properly.

The government-appointed watchdog apologised after its chief executive, Ian Trenholm, suddenly resigned late last month amid reforms aimed at improving the assessment of the quality of health and social care providers.

The CQC regulates almost 15,000 care homes, 13,000 home care agencies, 11,500 dentists, 8,600 GPs and 1,200 hospitals, as well as community services and supported living. Care England, which represents private care providers, had complained of “CQC’s over-reliance on outdated data, the lack of transparency in their regulatory approach and the significant inconsistencies between assessments”.

“I want to start with an apology,” Kate Terroni, the interim CQC director, said in an email sent out on Monday. “We got things wrong in implementing our new regulatory approach. I know the changes we have made so far are not what we promised. It has made things more difficult than they should be.”

Providers have experienced delays in registering and have been unable to upload information to a new online “provider portal” system intended to make the regulation more efficient. Some have compared the hostility of inspectors – who give ratings ranging from “inadequate” to “outstanding” – to that of Ofsted, which inspects schools and was forced to apologise for its role after the suicide of a headteacher, Ruth Perry.

Terroni admitted the regulator “did not listen properly” when care providers and even members of the CQC’s own staff warned of looming problems, such as glitches in the provider portal.

“While there was significant engagement and co-production of the high-level elements of our approach, we did not follow that process in the detail of how we will assess providers,” she said. “I know we have lost trust for some of you because of this. I am sorry.”

The apology comes two months after the Cabinet Office and the Department of Health and Social Care launched a wide-ranging independent review into the effectiveness of the CQC, led by Dr Penny Dash.

The National Care Association, which represents independent care home operators, publicly warned in February that “the workplace culture within CQC remains hostile” and forced providers to consider closing.

“The CQC has failed to respond to the challenges facing the sector for some time due to poor inspection methodology,” said Nadra Ahmed, chair of the NCA, who welcomed the apology. “Many providers found the process very challenging, intimidating and staff were in tears. A new framework for inspections was unveiled but the online portal to support evidence to be uploaded to the regulator … was not working. Providers have been trying for weeks to get online.”

Terroni said: “My new role brings with it a commitment to improving the way we use our regulatory approach as quickly and urgently as possible and to implementing the changes needed to move us in the right direction.”