Working effectively with the Care Quality Commission
Healthwatch England is formally part of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), although we operate independently. CQC has a duty in law to take account of the views and experiences of Healthwatch, and so there is an expectation that Healthwatch and CQC meet regularly and share insight and reports.
Contact with your CQC team
CQC staff are organised into local integrated teams including operations managers and regulatory co-ordinators, who are your main points of contact. If you require any assistance in contacting the CQC, please contact your regional manager.
The CQC and Healthwatch role in assessing local authorities
We have been supporting Healthwatch with their role as a key stakeholder in the CQC’s assessment of local authorities. If you have any questions about this, please contact your regional manager.
Escalation process
Healthwatch recently identified the need for a more robust escalation process for patient safety issues. This was highlighted by your involvement in significant reviews, such as the Ockenden Review of the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, and the independent review of maternity services in Nottingham. Additionally, our response to the Thirlwall Inquiry focused on our actions around patient safety.
Consequently, we are collaborating with the CQC to create a bespoke process for Healthwatch to escalate patient safety concerns. This process will integrate Healthwatch concerns into CQC systems, enabling CQC to track issues and report back on actions taken.
In the interim, we are implementing a temporary process that mirrors the initial steps of the upcoming escalation process and welcome any feedback.
If you have any concerns about patient safety issues, please read our interim escalation process below.
Interim escalation process
Definition and scope
The escalation process is to be used when your Healthwatch believes there are potential systematic safety concerns which are affecting several people rather than individual circumstances, including nearly never events.
Response timings
The escalation process involves several stages. Under s 224 of Health and Social Care Act 2012, your Healthwatch should expect a response to raising concerns locally within 20-30 days. However, given the seriousness of your concerns, you should consider what is a reasonable period to expect a response for each stage of the process.
Initial steps
- Your Healthwatch identifies concerns about patient safety/the culture/governance of one or more health and/or care organisations that risks patient safety.
- Your Healthwatch raises the matter with the organisation(s) in question directly unless there is a valid reason preventing this such as the concern is about a CEO or senior leader. You should consider your local safeguarding policy and processes if appropriate.
- If this is unsatisfactory, your Healthwatch raises the matter with the commissioner of the service and/or your integrated care board
Escalating to CQC
- If the initial steps have proved unsatisfactory, you may wish to discuss the matter with your regional manager, who can, if appropriate, seek advice from Healthwatch England colleagues.
- You can then decide to share your concerns with CQC via enquiries@cqc.org.uk where the information will be recorded and triaged appropriately. In order for Healthwatch England to track and record issues escalated to CQC we ask that you copy your regional manager into these communications.
Review
- Healthwatch England will liaise with the CQC to gain an overview of the cases raised by Healthwatch. Subsequently, we will share general findings with the quarterly Healthwatch Patient Safety Network for understanding and learning.