Fifty NHS Trusts are due to be inspected in light of the failings highlighted by the Mid-Staffordshire scandal. The Trusts, which have all given cause for concern, will each undergo a four-week inspection as part of a new regime led by the Chief Inspector of hospitals.

The inspection teams will include doctors, nurses and managers from high performing Trusts who will check on leadership as well as the safety and quality of the services provided.

At a recent care sector conference, the special policy lead of the Care Quality Commission, Alan Rosenbach, advised that the inspections will be carried out against five core standards:

• Are they safe?
• Are they effective?
• Are they caring?
• Are they well-led?
• Are they responsive to what people told them?

Mr Rosenbach went on to say “the initial focus will invariably be on those organisations where we need to make purposeful effort because they are falling short on the quality and safety expectations we have set against those five standards.”

Further details of the inspection regime will be revealed later this week when the Care Quality Commission unveils its new strategy.

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