The state of care in independent acute hospitals: Findings from CQC’s programme of comprehensive independent acute inspections (April 2018)

Summary

The Care Quality Commission (CGC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. They make sure that health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve. 

Independent acute hospitals play an important role in delivering healthcare services in England, providing a range of services, including surgery, diagnostics and medical care. As the independent regulator, the CQC, hold all providers of healthcare to the same standards, regardless of how they are funded. 

Content

In this report the CQC have seen much good and outstanding care, in particular around:

• responsiveness
• staff interactions with patients
• effective treatment
• leadership and engagement with staff and patients.

However,  there were a number of areas where services needed to make substantial improvements:

• governance
• clinical audit
• safety culture.