Revealed: the first 11 healthcare systems to be judged on collaboration

The CQC has said the first reviews will take place between July and August and will initially focus on 11 integrated care system and sustainability and transformation partnership areas.

But the regulator said its “ambition” is to look at provider collaborations in all ICS and STP areas “to help providers of health and social care services learn from the experience of responding to covid-19 around the country”.

The CQC says it will “undertake conversations” with providers and ICS and STP leaders, and also include the experiences of people who use services.

Health secretary Matt Hancock wrote to the CQC last year to commission more local system reviews. The regulator needs formal direction from the health secretary to undertake system reviews as it only has powers to regulate individual providers. 

The instruction came after the CQC was forced to abandon its local system review programme in January 2019 after the Department of Health and Social Care ignored a request for its approval to continue.

Review teams will feedback findings to areas following each review to help them plan ahead, the CQC says. Themes from the first 11 reviews will be reported in September in CQC’s covid insight report and State of Care in October.

The first phase will see reviews in:

• Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICS
• Norfolk and Waveney STP
• The Black Country and West Birmingham STP
• Lincolnshire STP
• North East and North Cumbria STP
• Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria STP
• Frimley Health and Care STP
• Sussex Health and Care Partnership STP;
• North West London STP
• One Gloucestershire ICS
• Devon STP

A CQC statement said: “These reviews will involve understanding the journey for people with and without coronavirus across health and social care providers. They will focus on the interface between health and adult social care for the over-65 population group.

“The reviews will support providers across systems by sharing learning, helping to drive improvements and preparation for future pressures on local health and care systems.”

Rosie Benneyworth, chief inspector of primary medical services and integrated care said: “Responses to the pandemic have offered opportunities for partnership working, ensuring shared efforts to avoid fragmentation and drive best experiences and outcomes for those accessing care within the system.

“These reviews will help identify where provider collaboration has worked well to the benefit of people who use services. Sharing that learning will help drive further improvements across systems.”