Oversight and regulation

Blogs from our legal experts:

• Extending medical examiner scrutiny to deaths in non-acute settings
  According to a system letter sent to NHS leaders earlier this month, all health settings now need to implement medical examiner systems for scrutiny of all non-coronial deaths as early as possible in 2021/22, so that all deaths are scrutinised by the end of March 2022.

• Regulator’s new 2021 strategy for the health and care sector 
  The CQC’s new strategy commits to adopt a more proportionate and risk-based approach to regulation – a model NHS Providers say will be welcomed by Trust leaders, particularly if this leads to less reliance on inspections and reduces the overall burden.

• National Quality Board on quality in ICSs 
  Last month this three page Position Statement was published for those working in health and care systems. It starts with a reminder of the Triple Aim duty to “deliver high quality care and put quality, including safety, at the forefront of planning an decision making”.

• Update: CQC on its regulatory approach from April 2021
  In March 2020 CQC paused its routine inspections with activity focused on where there was a risk to people’s safety. In January 2021 the CQC continued to only undertake inspection activity where there were serious risks to people’s safety or where it supported the health and care system’s response to the pandemic. This leaner approach enabled health and care organisations to work together, delivering care in new and innovative ways according to a report published on 17 March 2021 by NHS Providers.

• CQC and system level regulation
  Following the publication of the Department’s White Paper on health and care, the Parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee have been examining the proposals in Integration and Innovation: working together to improve health and social care.

• Safety and quality and the NHS White Paper
  This contains some 14 proposals relating to social care, public health and safety and quality. Looking just at safety and quality the following measures are worthy of particular note: