CQC must speed up its efforts to improve or lose further credibility (HSJ, 18 March 2026)

Summary

A year into the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) major turnaround programme, a difficult job just became even harder

The unexpected departure of its highly regarded chair, Professor Sir Mike Richards, so soon after the loss of its CEO, will leave many concerned that the inspection body’s urgent need for a reset and recovery will be delayed even further.

The next 12 months offer the CQC a precious window of opportunity to fundamentally change how it regulates services. But this causes us to confront a bigger question: what is health and care regulation actually for, and is the CQC up to the job?

Regulation should play a vital role in the health and care system, and when done well, it adds real value for patients, providers and the wider public. Patients should know that the services they use are high quality, safe, and represent good value for money.