It has been announced today that a report will be released that highlights concerns about the performance of the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 

The CQC, which was established in 2009, is a regulatory body that inspects health and social care providers in England. It is part of the Department of Health and Social Care. 

The health secretary has said today that the CQC is “not fit for purpose”. Concerns have been raised about: 

– The experience of its inspectors. One inspector had never been into a hospital before but was required to inspect them. Another inspector that was reporting on an elderly care facility had never met a dementia patient before. 

– Serious backlog of inspections. 1 in 5 services have never been given a rating. It was reported that one NHS hospital has not been assessed for more than 10 years. 

– Assessments by inspectors being inconsistent. 

An interim report is due to be released today, so that a package of emergency measures can be commenced immediately to improve the performance of the CQC. 

The full report will be released later in the year.