CQC awarded funding to support and encourage innovation

Through its Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has awarded CQC £500,000 to explore how we can work with providers to encourage good models of innovation.

This draws on our long-standing commitment to co-production and learning from providers, while upholding people’s right to safe, high-quality care.

The Regulators’ Pioneer Fund was established by the Government to fund unique projects that will help regulators support the development of new products and services. These projects are aligned with particular “Grand Challenges” set out in BEIS' Industrial Strategy and aim to unlock the potential of innovation to help tackle these issues.

The CQC project being backed today will allow us to investigate and test new ways of engaging with innovative providers to meet the needs of an ageing population, while making sure that patient safety is kept at the heart of developing services. This could include ‘regulatory sandboxing’, where implementation of technology can be tested against the regulations in a controlled way, to ensure that regulation achieves the best outcome for people using services.

Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive, said:

“We have always been committed to developing our approach to regulation alongside providers. As technology is becoming an integral part of the way care is delivered we need to make sure our approach supports innovative new services.

“Just as people’s needs and expectations of care are changing, so are the innovative ways that providers can support them. Regulation has to keep pace with, and encourage progress – whilst also making sure that people receive the safe, high-quality care that they deserve, regardless of how it is delivered.

“This funding from the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund will help us work with and encourage innovative providers at this exciting time, helping regulation to develop effectively and, encouraging technological change.”

In announcing the fifteen winning bidders for the £10m Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

“The UK’s regulatory environment is recognised as being among the best in the world and through our modern Industrial Strategy we are building a business environment in which Britain’s dreamers, developers and disruptors can continue to thrive.

“These projects will further strengthen our regulatory system and ensure that it keeps pace with the innovation and technological advances needed to power our economy now and in the future.”