It has been updated because policy responsibility for abortion at the DHSC is now led by the Healthy Behaviours Team. CQC also has a different Chief Executive to when the agreement was first made in 2015.
The agreement sets out how CQC and the DHSC’s Healthy Behaviours Team will work together to safeguard the wellbeing of people using independent termination of pregnancy services in England.
This includes a formal commitment to share information where either party becomes aware of a service that may be providing termination of pregnancy services without being appropriately registered with CQC and/or licensed with the DHSC.
In addition to ongoing liaison between the two organisations, CQC and the DHSC’s Healthy Behaviours Team will meet regularly to discuss any changes to inspection methodology of termination of pregnancy services and more general findings from published CQC inspection reports for the sector.
The agreement will be periodically reviewed to make sure it is relevant, up to date and effective.