4 March 2011
Following a review of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that incidents concerning patient safety were not being reported quickly enough to the National Patient Safety Agency.
It is critical that these incidents which relate to harm or potential harm to service users are reported without delay as not doing so may result in failure to identify risks and learn lessons which safeguard future patient safety.
The CQC required that the trust address this issue by 23 March. We have also told the trust that if it does not, our next steps may include prosecution.
Any regulatory decision that CQC takes is open to challenge by a registered person through a variety of internal and external appeal processes
Ends
For media enquires, please contact the CQC press office on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.
Notes to editors
About the CQC: Snippet for press releases
About the Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.
We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.
Find out more
Find out more about Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.