Hancock’s performance to be given a ‘CQC-style’ rating

The parliamentary committee led by Jeremy Hunt will subject health ministers to a “CQC style ratings system”, as part of a new way of scrutinising the Department of Health and Social Care.

The Health and Social Care Select Committee has set out plans for a new ratings system to “offer independent and objective evaluation of ministerial pledges”. This will mean the government is held to account by an evaluation process similar to that used across the NHS and social care system which gives not just an absolute score but key pointers as to how to improve that score next time round.

“We hope it will focus attention on areas such as cancer, mental health and patient safety where a number of vital commitments have been made,” says Jeremy Hunt, committee chair and former health secretary.

In his six year tenure as health secretary, Mr Hunt styled himself as a champion of patient safety, while his successor, Matt Hancock, has been criticised for appearing to jettison this agenda.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 5 August 2020