Report comment

One of the biggest problems the CQC faces is in insulating itself from political pressure. It is not acceptable for it to suddenly find its budget hijacked by a Minister's personal hobby horse or what happens to be in the latest redtops' headlines.

The CQC needs to establish a firm strategy and stick to it. One of the NHS's most persistent problems is constant political meddling, and the CQC needs to be immune to this - the first and only priority is patient care.

If, by any budgetting means, the CQC finds itself unable to police patient care adequately, it needs to speak up and demand the extra funds it needs, and to continue to embarrass politicians who deny it the facilities it needs to provide adequate protection for the public - the people the Ministers are elected to serve.