We have written to all registered health and social care providers about how we are adapting our regulatory approach in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The letters, sent to providers today, expand on an update we sent on 4 March. The changes they describe include:
- stopping routine inspections from today
- a shift towards other, remote methods to give assurance of safety and quality of care
- some inspection activity in a small number of cases, for example where there are allegations of abuse
- giving extra support to registered managers in adult social care
We have sent two versions of the letter – one to adult social care providers and one to healthcare providers. You can read the full text here.
Letter to adult social care providers (Monday 16 March 2020)
Immediate cessation of routine CQC inspections
Dear colleague,
I am writing to update you on changes to our approach to regulation in response to COVID-19.
Our primary objectives during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic will to be to support you to keep people safe during a period of unprecedented pressure on the health and care system.
As a result, we will be stopping inspections from Monday 16 March.
It may be necessary to use some of our inspection powers in a very small number of cases when we have concerns of harm, such as allegations of abuse. However, inspections will not be conducted in their present form during the period of the pandemic. When physical inspections are deemed appropriate, we anticipate having a conversation with the provider before a visit takes place.
Clarification on notifications: 17 March 2020
We want to support the sector during this time and ensure appropriate attention is paid to the impact of COVID-19 on people with care and support needs. We are taking an active role in coordinating information locally and centrally. This is to make sure the risks are known and understood by both government and Regional Incident Centres – understanding what is happening means we will be well placed to galvanise the right level of support from them for social care.
There are no changes to the requirements to make notifications or the system used to make them. You should notify us of deaths and of events that stop you carrying on your service ‘safely and properly’ (regulation 18). This will mean letting us know if your service operation is being negatively affected by COVID-19. It does not mean that you need to notify us of every single COVID-19 related issue.
Aside from making notifications in the usual way, we would encourage you to stay in touch with us. Please contact us if there are specific concerns and issues that you would like to make us aware of. This is new territory for all of us and we want to be able to advise and support you in any way that we can. We understand how important adult social care is and the vital role it has in our health and social care system.
Kate Terroni
Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care
We encourage everyone to act in the best interests of the health of the people they serve, with the top priority the protection of life. We encourage you to use your discretion and act in the best way you see fit.
Update on Provider Information Returns (PIRs)
On 15 April we updated the text below to remove a reference to PIRs. We no longer ask adult social care providers to submit a PIR.
We have introduced a new data collection for services that provide care in people's homes. This helps us monitor coronavirus-related pressures and enables services to refer their staff for testing.
Importantly, we want to act as a support for registered managers - our inspection team will be there to provide advice and guidance to the providers throughout this period.
More than ever, please can you pass my thanks to your dedicated workforce and for your leadership as we pull together during this difficult time to ensure people receive safe care. We will update you further if things change significantly.
Yours sincerely,
Ian Trenholm
Chief Executive
Kate Terroni
Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care
Letter to healthcare providers (Monday 16 March 2020)
Immediate cessation of routine CQC inspections
Dear colleague,
Further to our letter of 4 March, we're writing to update you on CQC's regulatory approach at this difficult time for the sector. Firstly however, we wanted to thank you for the incredible work you and your team are delivering at this challenging time. We are acutely aware of the pressure you are facing and we wanted to thank you for everything you are doing.
Our primary objectives during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic will to be to support you to keep people safe during a period of unprecedented pressure on the health and care system.
As a result, we will be stopping inspections from Monday 16 March.
It may be necessary to still use some of our inspection powers in a very small number of cases when we have clear reports of harm, such as allegations of abuse. However, inspections and Provider Information Requests for health services will not be conducted during the period of the pandemic. We are talking to social care providers about how to most effectively collect information from them to ensure that the Government has a clear picture of social care in the absence of a single national body equivalent to NHS England.
We encourage everyone to act in the best interests of the health of the people they serve, with the top priority the protection of life. We encourage you to use your discretion and act in the best way you see fit. We also wanted to briefly outline what other support we are offering the system. Clinically qualified CQC special advisors have already returned to the frontline to help with the wider national response; we have offered DHSC, Public Health England and NHS England our staff where they have relevant skills and a number have been seconded already; and we expect to be using our customer contact centre to start taking non-clinical COVID-19 calls from next week in support of 111. In addition, we are asking our teams to stand ready to help any other part of the national effort whether that be in the public or private sector.
We hope this reassures you of CQC's commitment to offering the health and care system all the support possible to ensure that people – those who use services and those who work in them – are kept safe during this global health emergency.
We will update you further if things change significantly. Please be assured we will not be doing anything to distract you and your teams from using your discretion in looking after the public and will continue to maintain a focus on the safety of health and social care services through the introduction of an interim methodology for the period of this pandemic.
Of course should you or your team wish to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Yours sincerely,
Ian Trenholm,
Chief Executive
Prof Ted Baker,
Chief Inspector of Hospitals
Dr Rosie Benneyworth,
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care