What is the Healthcare Commission and why do we exist?

The Healthcare Commission is an independent body, set up to promote and drive improvement in the quality of healthcare and public health.

We aim to do this by becoming an authoritative and trusted source of information and by ensuring that this information is used to drive improvement.

Why we exist....

Inspect
To inspect the quality and value for money of healthcare and public health

Inform
To equip patients and the public with the best possible information about the provision of healthcare

Improve
To promote improvements in healthcare and public health

Our statutory duties

Our main duties in England are to:

• assess the management, provision and quality of NHS healthcare and public health services
• review the performance of each NHS trust and award an annual performance rating
• regulate the independent healthcare sector through registration, annual inspection, monitoring complaints and enforcement
• publish information about the state of healthcare
• consider complaints about NHS organisations that the organisations themselves have not resolved
• promote the coordination of reviews and assessments carried out by ourselves and others
• carry out investigations of serious failures in the provision of healthcare.

In carrying out our duties, we are required to pay particular attention to:

• the availability of, access to, quality and effectiveness of healthcare
• the economy and efficiency of the provision of healthcare
• the availability and quality of information provided to the public about healthcare
• the need to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of children and the effectiveness of measures taken to do so

The Healthcare Commission also has certain duties in respect to Wales, mainly relating to national reviews and our annual 'State of Healthcare' report. However, local inspection and investigation of NHS bodies in Wales rests with the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, while the Care Standards Inspectorate Wales inspects those organisations providing independent healthcare.

The Healthcare Commission and Wales

As a public body, the Healthcare Commission also has important positive obligations under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the Human Rights Act 1998, to take active steps to promote respect for human rights and equality of opportunity and good relations between all racial groups.

More information about equality, diversity and human rights

The Healthcare Commission works in close partnership with the Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC), whose role is to ensure that there is adequate and effective protection of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. Under the Government's review of legislation on mental health, it is expected that most of the functions of MHAC will transfer to the Healthcare Commission and that MHAC will be abolished, though not before April 2007. In the meantime, each organisation will maintain its separate statutory responsibilities but work together on a coherent overall programme for the assessment of the provision of care in the field of mental health.

Mental Health Act Commission (opens new window)

The Healthcare Commission's legal name is the 'Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection'. It was formed by the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, and launched on April 1st 2004. 

Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 (opens new window)

Explanatory Notes on Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act (opens new window)

Why was the Healthcare Commission set up?

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