England’s independent regulator for health and social care service, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has officially launched its autumn public consultation and confirmed developing sector specific frameworks.
The consultation is part of the CQC’s efforts to address the concerns raised in external reviews by the NHS Dr Penny Dash and the CQC chair Professor Sir Mike Richards, in 2024, as well as the Care Provider Alliance.
The proposed changes are focused on two key areas. The first involves developing new frameworks and guidance for assessing providers, including reintroducing rating characteristics, replacing quality statements with assessment questions, creating sector-specific frameworks and simplifying framework. The second area focuses on enhancing how the CQC assesses and rates providers, which may include changes to NHS trust ratings and adjustments at the key question level.
Alongside the public consultation, a targeted engagement session will be held to allow people with lived experience, as well as those working across the sectors regulated by the CQC to share their views. The CQC notes that this session will focus on developing sector-specific frameworks and shaping rating characteristics.
The healthcare regulator shared that the consultation will be open for responses until December 11, and those who wish to participate will be able to do so via an online form on the CQC website.