I hope your week was good. It was the Easter Holidays and we made tracks to Devon. Time to reflect on a new topic.
CQC have efficiencies to make as they feel the snip of red tape. I review inspection and registration in their 2016-21 strategy consultation: ‘Shaping the Future’.
Uncertain ground
Before I became too engrossed, I went for a family walk. There was a deal of rain this morning and the sky was watery grey even when it stopped. We padded down to the beach after a debate on wellies or trainers. I won with wellies. The sand isn’t as firm as it looks after rain, it sinks in places and the sky threatened change again.
I can feel uncertain ground for CQC too. The Chair and Chief Executive pen; ‘we need to build on our current regulatory approach and improve its efficiency and effectiveness. At the same time, we need to adapt to the changes in the health and care sectors we regulate. We have to achieve all of this with fewer resources.’ That feels like lots of plates to spin …especially if resource is removed to spin them.
What does it mean?
Theme 1: Improving our use of data and information
The CQC indicate working towards better use and sharing of information they and their partners hold. This included developing a key data set and gathering more user voice which would help target risk and poor care with a mention of less inspection for some good and outstanding providers hurrah!
A doctor family member always says, ‘look at the patient not just the thermometer’. That is handy advice in my view, and similarly, although a powerful aid, information and data quality can lead to queries for the provider.
Theme 2: Implementing a single shared view of quality
This is interesting, providers could use a shared framework based on the 5 questions to monitor their own performance and share with CQC. Local oversight bodies could also use it. This sounds a lot like the PIR already used in adult social care, hopefully with some tweaks.
This theme to me means self-assessment…..a rose by any other name is still a rose! But an excellent opportunity if your policies and procedures and data sets are already formatted to the 5 questions. QCS policies have a helpful mapping to the KLOEs already. CQC acknowledge in the document no rating would be on provider information alone.
In closing
So far, less resource means less physical presence. Is it more efficient? Or a different set of problems for CQC and providers?
It didn’t rain again, but I squelched a little on the walk home. My wellie heel had begun to let in water as I stood in the shallows…there are some things you just cannot legislate for!
Although the consultation process is now closed, you can read the strategy consultation here. Join me in exploring two more themes in my next blog.
