Each regulatory organisation that signs the concordat makes a commitment to follow a set of shared principles. These have been developed to support improving health services for the public, while minimising the disruption that audits, reviews and inspections can cause for the services being regulated.

A key aim is for the signatories to coordinate their work, share information and carry out joint inspections where possible. Not only does this reduce duplication, which lessens the impact on healthcare organisations, it also reduces the cost of regulation.

There are now 20 signatories working together to coordinate their regulatory activities, which is led by the HC. A dedicated concordat website is a central point of contact for chief executives of NHS trusts to communicate their observations or concerns about how inspections are planned and carried out.

Concordat for Wales

The HC is a signatory of the concordat between organisations that inspect, audit and review health and social care services in Wales. This agreement has very similar aims to the concordat for England and the HC is working closely with its partners in Wales to develop further the cooperative arrangements that underpin the concordat for Wales.

More information

Our report Making a difference gives further details of the concordat for England, including its aims, initiatives and progress with coordinating inspection of health services. You can also find out more about both concordats in the publications listed below or by visiting the Concordat website for England and the Concordat website for Wales.

• Concordat for England: Working in partnership
• Concordat for Wales - English version
• Concordat rhwng y corfforaethau sydd yn archwilio, rheoli ag yn archwilio lechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol yng Nghymru
• Concordat between bodies inspecting, regulating, and auditing Health and social care in Wales
• Concordat rhwng y Cyrff sy’n Arolygu, Rheoleiddio ac Archwilio Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol yng Nghymru