From the beginning of this month, all health and care providers will have been required to make arrangements to prominently display their CQC (Care Quality Commission) rating.
The aim is to enable patients and their families accessing care services to make more informed choices about their care by seeing first-hand if the Care Quality Commission has judged the services as ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’, or ‘Inadequate’
The Commission has developed a suite of posters that will be automatically generated through the regulator’s website for all care services that receive a CQC rating, to download, print, and display. The CQC said: “People can expect to start seeing performance ratings on provider websites, as well as across premises, public entrances, and in waiting areas in healthcare facilities from 1 April this year. In line with CQC’s enforcement policy, appropriate action – including imposing a fine – can be taken should the CQC find providers are in breach of the regulation.”
Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, added: “We want to have the world’s safest health and social care system, and we know, in the wake of Mid Staffs, that transparency is vital in helping to improve standards of care. We have made significant changes to become safer and more transparent; this is another important milestone.”
CQC’s final guidance for care providers on how to display their ratings is available to view at www.cqc.org.uk/content/displayratings
