The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) five-year plan aims to develop a shared data set between partners, other regulators and commissioners.
The strategy, Shaping the future, intends to help providers so they “are only asked for information about care quality once”.
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) five-year plan aims to develop a shared data set between partners, other regulators and commissioners.
The strategy, Shaping the future, intends to help providers so they “are only asked for information about care quality once”.
To achieve this, the CQC plans to work with commissioners, along with the Healthwatch network, to “share information about how quality is changing locally, regionally and nationally” more effectively.
Beyond sharing data, the CQC outlines in its report the need for national regulator, oversight bodies and commissioners to work together to a shared goal of high-quality care.
This will include working through the National Quality Board and with leaders in the adult social care sector to implement a single framework for defining and measuring quality.
The CQC also revealed that they will be piloting joint inspections with commissioners of out-of-hours and NHS 111 services, as their integration continues to increase.
David Behan, chief executive of the CQC, said: "We’re developing our approach to reflect changes in the sectors we regulate – effective regulation doesn’t occur in a vacuum.
“But our role remains the same: consistently assessing quality of care using the information we and others gather; using what we know to help drive change and improvement; and acting swiftly to ensure people are protected from poor care.”
In addition to promoting a single view of quality, the five-year plan outlines three other priorities, including encouraging improvement, innovation and sustainability in care, delivering an intelligence-driven approach to regulation and improving efficiency and effectiveness.
Peter Wyman, CQC chair, added: "Over the next five years the health and social care sector will need to adapt, and we do not underestimate the challenges that services face.
“Demand for care has increased as more people live for longer with complex care needs, and there is strong pressure on services to control costs.
“Success will mean delivering the right quality outcomes within the resources available.
The report adds that the CQC will know when they have succeeded when, “people trust and use our expert, independent judgements about the quality of care”.
