London 2012 health services will not face CQC checks

The Department of Health is consulting on the changes following a review of the first year of the registration system overseen by the Care Quality Commission.

According to the consultation document, the review found “a number of issues in the regulations that either do not function as initially intended, lack clarity or which impose an unjustified burden on providers”.

One of the ways the DH wants to correct this is by removing all health services established for the Olympics and Paralympics from the need to register with the CQC.

Under the previous plans, many services would have fallen under the regulations, even though the intention had been to exclude them from CQC requirements, the paper says. An impact assessment states “individuals with a disability will be the main protected group to be effected [sic] by this change”.

Other services where CQC registration is deemed unnecessary include air ambulances, ambulances within sporting and cultural events and occupational health and medical treatment organised for staff by employers, other than services requiring admission to hospital.

Some providers of domiciliary care will also be exempt from registration, as will some diagnostic testing and screening and IVF clinics carrying out ultrasounds.The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority already oversees the skills and qualifications of IVF staff, the document says.

In addition, mental health providers will no longer have to notify the CQC when patients abscond from general mental health wards.

However, independent midwives providing care in a woman’s home will be required to register.

The changes would save £103.9m over 10 years, the impact assessment states.

Separate proposals included in the consultation would make it easier for the CQC to bring prosecutions in the case of a major service failing, by removing the need to preface this with a statutory notice.

Subject to the response to the 12 week consultation, the DH aims for the changes to be enforced during the course of 2012-13.

The closing date for comments is 7 October.