CQC report reveals private sector standards

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual State of Care report has painted a positive picture of the UK’s 2,500 independent hospitals and clinics. 

The report, which analyses the quality, safety and provision of health and social care services in England, also revealed the changing make up of healthcare providers.  

Independent hospitals and clinics outperformed NHS hospitals in a range of key outcomes. Just 51% of NHS hospitals were compliant with the CQC’s standards on “care and welfare”, compared to 87% of independent hospitals. Similarly, only 72% of NHS hospitals were compliant with the CQC’s standard in “the management of risk to health, welfare and safety” of patients, compared to 90% of independent hospitals.

However, the number of people who complained to The Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service did rise to 321 in 2010, up from 184 in 2009.

The CQC’s report revealed around 12,000 independent health care and adult social care providers are registered under the CQC’s new system of regulation, including almost 2,500 independent hospitals and clinics and 5,894 domiciliary care agencies. 

The number of residential care services has fallen by 10% between 2004 and 2010, while the number of domiciliary care agencies increased by over a third during a similar period.

For further analysis of the CQC's State of Care report, see the October issue of HealthInvestor.

Click here to visit the original article on HealthInvestor

Added 20th September 2011