Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The Care Quality Commission or CQC is UK's health and social care body. It is a Government organization and has taken over the functions of the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Commission, all three of which were dissolved on 31st March 2009.
It is a relatively new commission which regulates health cum adult social care services in all of England, irrespective of whether it is provided by the local authorities, voluntary or private organizations or the NHS. It provides the people rights as per the Mental Health Act. The Care Quality Commission was formerly called Commission for Social Care Inspection.
Key Roles
The primary function of Care Quality Commission is to ensure that the services offered by the hospitals, care homes, dentists and ambulances along with the services in the public's residences or elsewhere is in compliance with the standards of safety and quality as set by the government. The Care Quality Commission is responsible for ensuring that the feedback and opinions of the general public, which uses the health and social care services, are heard and taken care of.
The Care Quality Commission is in charge of several legal duties and powers and it takes necessary actions if the healthcare and social services providers do not comply with the essential standards of safety and quality or there is a loophole detected in these services that the basic health and safety rights of the people are at risk. The enforcement powers can be exercised flexibly in the form of public warnings and fines.
Government Standards
The government standards followed by the Care Quality Commission are as follows:
- Treating people with respect and dignity
- Ensuring everyone's food and drink needs are met
- Keeping the environment safe and clean
- Providing staffing and managing services
As per law, all the providers at NHS like the ambulance services and hospitals are required to be registered with the CQC. This is to verify that they are offering protection to the public from infection risks. This system of registration is applicable for the NHS Blood and Transplant Authority as well as the NHS provider trusts right from acute healthcare and mental health to ambulance services and primary healthcare.
