Summary
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) this week started on the new programme of hospital inspections. These inspections, under leadership by the CQC’s new Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards now involve significantly larger inspection teams – called inspection panels – and include doctors, nurses and other experts plus trained members of the public. They will assess every site delivering acute services, and address eight services areas: A&E; medical care (including frail elderly); surgery; intensive/critical care; maternity; paediatrics/children’s care; end of life care; and outpatients.
Inspections now involve a mixture of announced and unannounced visits, and include inspections during evenings and weekends.
Read more: CQC’s new hospital inspection programme to start tomorrow. Care Quality Commission.
See also:
Reference
Triggle, N. (2013). New hospital inspection regime targets poor care. London: BBC Health News, September 17th 2013.
See also:
Reference
Triggle, N. (2013). Power to the patients. London: BBC Health News, September 20th 2013.
See also:
Reference
Triggle, N. (2013). Sifting through the data mountain. London: BBC Health News, October 25th 2013.
Government Statement on CQC Report into Colchester Hospital Trust
The government response to the Care Quality Commission report. which recommended that Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust should be placed in special measures, follows:
Reference
Government statement: CQC report into Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. London: Department of Health, November 5th 2013.
Related BBC News analyses and commentaries:
Reference
Triggle, N. (2013). What the latest scandal says about the NHS. London: BBC Health News, November 5th 2013.
Reference
Triggle, N. (2013). Colchester General: The key questions. London: BBC Health News, November 6th 2013.
First Four Reports From New CQC Hospital Inspections
The first four reports, presenting the CQC’s detailed findings from the new inspection regime for hospitals in England, cover:
- Croydon Health Services NHS Trust: Croydon University Hospital.
- Airedale NHS Foundation Trust: Airedale General Hospital.
- Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust: New Cross Hospital
- Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust: Musgrove Park Hospital.
Reference
First four reports from new hospital inspections published. London: Care Quality Commission (CQC), November 21st 2013.
Of particular local interest:
Reference
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital: quality report. London: Care Quality Commission (CQC), November 15th 2013.
