The regulator of health and adult social care has issued draft guidance for consultation on how providers across England can make sure they are meeting the Government’s new requirement for them to prominently display their performance ratings from April.
This follows an amended regulation laid before Parliament yesterday (Wednesday 28 January) by the Department of Health that will require providers to display their Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings at their registered locations and on their websites.
The Care Act 2014 places a duty on CQC to inspect the performance of health and adult social care services and to present these judgements as ratings.
CQC rates services as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate so that the public has clear information to help them make informed choices about their care.
CQC has been doing this for the NHS since last March, for adult social care since last October and for general practices since November.
CQC has now developed guidance setting out how providers can meet this new requirement and has launched a four-week consultation for providers, members of the public and others to share their comments.
At the same time, CQC is consulting on draft guidance for providers on some minor amendments carried over from the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.
Anyone with an interest is invited to have their say before final guidance is published in March and Government’s new regulations begin in April.
Chief Executive at the Care Quality Commission, David Behan, said:
“Our role as the regulator is making sure people have access to health and care services that are safe, caring, effective, responsive and well-led – it’s what everyone should expect and deserves.
“Following an inspection we publish our report and rating on our website. In the future there is a new requirement for all providers to display their rating. This will provide even greater transparency in helping people to make more informed choices about their care, either for themselves or their loved ones.
“I hope as many as people as possible will take the time to read our proposals and tell us what they think.”
More information – and to provide feedback – on the display of ratings and other amended regulations is available here: http://www.cqc.org.uk/guidanceconsultation
The closing date for all comments is Wednesday 25 February.
Twitter: @CareQualityComm #tellCQC
ENDS
In the future there is a new requirement for all providers to display their rating. This will provide even greater transparency in helping people to make more informed choices about their care, either for themselves or their loved ones.
David Behan, Chief Executive, Care Quality Commission