Discussion with Lucy Hamer, Involvement Team Leader, Care Quality Commission of the hospital inspection process used by the organisation.
Minutes:
Officers from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) explained that the CQC strategy committed the organisation to working closely with scrutiny. The CQC wished to strengthen this relationship further following issues such as those raised by the Francis Report. The CQC had recently produced a new guide for scrutiny committees on working with it. The CQC teams that inspected facilities for health, social care and primary & integrated care each wished to strengthen their relationships with scrutiny.
A new set of CQC standards for care had been introduced with effect from 1 April 2015. If the CQC found that services provided were not good, it needed to decide if the services provided required improvement of if they should be rated as inadequate. Services were also now required to put their CQC rating on public display. Guidance for providers had now been updated and was available on the CQC website.
It was noted that the CQC was responsible for inspecting hospitals, GPS, dentists, mental health facilities, care homes, home care services, children’s care facilities and healthcare within the criminal justice system.
Officers reiterated that the relationship with scrutiny was important to the CQC. The CQC inspection schedule was announced to scrutiny and a representative of the most local scrutiny committee was invited to the quality summit arranged by the CQC following an inspection. Inspection reports were also notified to scrutiny.
The CQC inspection of Whipps Cross had been undertaken in direct response to concerns raised by local stakeholders. Evidence was collected from stakeholders before each inspection and a team of 45 people had been involved in the inspection at Whipps Cross.
Inspections of Newham and the Royal London Hospitals had been undertaken in January 2015 and these reports were currently with the respective Trusts who were allowed to check matters of factual accuracy. The inspection at BHRUT had been dealt with supportively by the Trust and the report on this was due to be compiled by the end of April.
The CQC had the remit to look at how integrated services were and information was shared between the different sector CQC teams. The CQC also undertook thematic reviews looking at for example care and services for older people.
Members expressed disappointment at the lack of an invitation to Redbridge to the quality summit re Whipps Cross and the CQC officers accepted that it was important to identify correctly which overview and scrutiny sub-committee should be invited. This was also a challenge where hospitals treated patients from across several different Local Authority areas. Members also recorded their thanks to the CQC for an excellent report on Whipps Cross.
A member of the public asked why the CQC had not picked up concerns about Whipps Cross at an earlier stage. Officers responded that the CQC did have a database of evidence on Whipps Cross. Barts Health had been inspected in December 2013 by a team of 90. When it became clear that action plans were not being worked towards, the CQC announced a new inspection in November 2014.
A new power granted to the CQC was the authority to review end of life care. The CQC could also look at if there were clear responsibilities for care planning and further information could be provided on this.
The Committee NOTED the presentation from the CQC.