Our responses to other organisations' consultations
The Healthcare Commission is in a unique position to offer a broad view of the NHS and independent healthcare services in England (and, to a lesser extent, Wales). As a result, we are often asked to contribute to consultations carried out by other organisations on various topics related to health, healthcare and regulation.
The future regulation of health and adult social care in England
In November 2006, the Department of Health launched a consultation on how health and adult social care in England will be regulated in the future.
The consultation confirmed the Department of Health’s commitment to merge the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Mental Health Act Commission as part of the ongoing programme for health reform. The consultation focused on the development of a regulatory framework designed to support health reform to achieve safety, quality, fairness and efficiency for people across the health and adult social care system.
In March 2007, Professor Sir Ian Kennedy wrote to the secretary of state outlining that we broadly agree with the regulatory framework as set out in the consultation. However, there are significant issues to be resolved in the transition to the new regulator and the resources available over the period.
Read Professor Sir Ian Kennedy's letter to the secretary of state about the regulation of health and adult social care (pdf 22kb) (opens new window)
We particularly agree with and emphasise that the new regulator should focus on the needs of patients and the public and that regulation should continue to have an overall remit to promote improvement in the safety and quality of care provided and in the use of public money.
Read the summary of our response to the Department of Health consultation on the future regulation of health and adult social care (pdf 24kb) (opens new window)
Read our response to the Department of Health consultation on the future regulation of health and adult social care (pdf 69kb) (opens new window)
Regulation of the medical and non-medical healthcare professions
In July 2006, Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson launched two consultation documents: Good doctors, safer patients which looked at the future regulation of the medical profession and The regulation of the non-medical healthcare professions.
The Commission supports the aims of both reports. We believe that the regulation of individual healthcare professionals needs to be clearly and logically linked with the other healthcare regulatory systems, and should be risk-based and proportionate. A number of recommendations in these documents propose a role for the Commission in assessing compliance, providing information or supporting elements of the proposals. We look forward to further discussions about the practicality and feasibility of the Commission fulfilling the roles envisaged, taking into account current thinking about the future regulation of healthcare.
Our response to the report by the Chief Medical Officer: 'Good doctors, safer patients' (pdf 46kb) (opens new window)
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