Care Quality Commission

From 1 April 2009, the Healthcare Commission, who up until that date were our regulatory body, has merged with the Mental Health Commission and Social Care to become the Care Quality Commission.

At present, as far as the hospice is concerned, it is business as usual. We still have to provide evidence that we as a hospice are meeting the minimum standards as set out by them, and these are currently being monitored and worked on by the various sub groups in the hospice.

Behind the scenes, the three groups that have come together are looking at amalgamating the three different sets of standards. A consultation document has been published by the CQC, that puts forward proposals with this regard and which may result in some changes in legislation.

It is still not evident whether there will be a new form of registration for establishments or whether the current one will roll over. The current written information seems to suggest that there will be a greater emphasis on gathering the views of patients/carers/public and there will be an engagement site that they can log onto to make these views known.

So until further notice, we continue to work to achieving the core standards and to provide annual Self Assessment reports in order for CQC to risk assess us and determine whether an onsite visit is required. However, the regulations for such visits stipulate that one onsite visit has to be carried out once in every five years, although further visits can be sprung upon the hospice at any given time.

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