The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England.
As the regulator, they make sure that the care that people receive meets essential standards of quality and safety and encourage ongoing improvements by those who provide or commission care.
The new registration system for health and adult social care will make sure that people can expect services to meet essential standards of quality and safety that respect their dignity and protect their rights. The new system is focussed on outcomes rather than systems and processes, and places the views and experiences of people who use services at its centre.
They will be continuously monitoring compliance with essential standards as part of a new, more dynamic, responsive and robust system of regulation. Assessors and inspectors will frequently review all available information and intelligence they hold about a provider. They will seek information from patients and public representative groups, and from organisations such as other regulators and the National Patient Safety Agency.
If they have concerns that a provider is not meeting essential standards of quality and safety, they will act quickly, working closely with commissioners and others, and will use their new enforcement powers if necessary.
What it means for our practice
There are 28 standards which the practice has to evidence that it complies with, covering a whole range of topics such as; respecting & involving people, complaints, infection control, staffing etc.
For the majority of the outcomes the practice already had the relevant policies and procedures in place, however for the CQC the emphasis is being placed on evidencing that the policies are being followed. We have therefore been trying to find different ways of evidencing this and have used things such as survey results, audits, meeting minutes etc.
Every two years the practice will have a CQC inspection (more frequently if they have reason for concern). The notice given for these visits is usually 48 hours, but it can be unannounced. During a visit the inspectors will be in the practice all day, watching how it works, talking to staff and patients. They may wish to talk to a member of the PPG if that is possible as well.
Involving people who use services
The public, carers, local groups and care staff provide the CQC with important information about their experiences of care services.
If you would like to tell the CQC about your experiences of the care services provided at St. George's Medical practice, you can do so by clicking on the link below. This will direct you to our practice section of the CQC website, where you can read any reports which the CQC have published about the practice and can share your experiences by clicking on the 'please tell us your experiences' tab and completing the on-line form.
Care Quality Commission page on St Georges Medical practice
For further information about the Care Quality Commission you can access their website at:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/
or phone the national helpline on: 03000 616161
CQC Inspection Results
'Outstanding'
The practice had its first Care Quality Commission inspection in February 2015 and the results have now been published on the CQC website.
We received a rating of 'outstanding' overall, which we are extremely pleased with and proud of.
To view the full report click on the link below.
Care Quality Commission page on St Georges Medical practice