Wes Streeting has branded the care regulator ‘not fit for purpose’ after a bombshell review found it is failing to protect patients from harm.
The Health Secretary said he was ‘stunned’ to learn one in five care providers have never received a rating from the Care Quality Commission.
And some hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes have not been reinspected for over a decade.
The CQC says it makes sure health and social care services provide people with ‘safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care’ by monitoring and inspecting what they do. But the independent review by Dr Penny Dash found fewer than half the number of inspections were carried out last year as in 2019/20.
Those conducting the inspections also have a worrying lack of experience. Some inspectors said they had never been in a hospital before and one visiting care homes had never met a person with dementia.
Dr Dash, chairman of the North West London Integrated Care Board, was commissioned to conduct the review by former health secretary Victoria Atkins in May.
Mr Streeting has ordered the publication of an interim report, claiming urgent action is needed to improve regulation and ensure transparency.
He said: ‘When I joined the department, it was already clear that the NHS was broken and the social care system in crisis.
‘But I have been stunned by the extent of the failings of the institution that is supposed to identify and act on failings. It’s clear to me the CQC is not fit for purpose.’
Experts have previously expressed concerns that the CQC failed to expose wrongdoings at trusts that were later embroiled in major scandals.
The Dash review identified ‘significant internal failings’ which are hampering its ability to identify poor performance. These included too few inspections, a lack of clinical expertise among inspectors, a lack of consistency in assessments, and problems with the CQC’s IT system.
Dr Dash said: ‘The contents of my interim report underscore the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the CQC.’
Mr Streeting said the government will now take immediate steps to restore public confidence in the regulator. These include increased oversight, greater transparency in how it determines its rating for providers, and a review of assessment frameworks.
Dr Dash will publish her full report in the autumn.