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Monitoring the Mental Health Act
Throughout 2017/18, CQC carried out visits to mental health wards to meet patients, review their care and speak to frontline staff to inform its annual report to Parliament on how health services in England are applying the Mental Health Act.
While there has been an overall improvement in some aspects of care, concerns remain about the quality and safety of mental health wards. Visit our website to read the full report.
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Share your views on the Mental Health Act Code of Practice
CQC is completing an evaluation of the Mental Health Act Code of Practice.
We have carried out analysis to find out what the barriers and enablers have been to implementing the Code standards and the impact on the patient experience. We would like your views to make proposals for improvement to a future Code (including whether CQC’s regulatory approach could be improved).
We are seeking views in two different ways:
- Via a questionnaire on our online community for providers. If you are not already a member of the online community, you can sign up to share your thoughts. The questionnaire will be open until 8 March.
- Via a webinar event on 7 March (10am – 11.30am) facilitated by our Mental Health Policy team. If you are interested in attending please express your interest by emailing providerengagement@cqc.org.uk and letting us know your role and where you work. Spaces are limited and we will award them on a first-come-first-served basis.
Driving improvement
We have recently published a new Driving improvement case study exploring how Northampton General Hospital improved its rating from requires improvement to good and what the trust are doing to continue their journey of improvement.
Visit our website to read the case study, and revisit the other case studies in the series.
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Continuing regulatory histories
As part of our new approach to registration we are changing the way we display a location’s history. This will mean that the ratings information and inspection reports will stay with a location when it moves address or changes ownership. This will ensure:
- Greater transparency for the public.
- Providers will not lose any existing ratings for their locations.
- CQC can take a more proportionate and efficient approach to inspecting after a change of registration.
This change will come into effect from 1 April 2019 and will apply to all registration applications completed on or after this date.
We have been working in coproduction with providers, the public and other key stakeholders to develop this approach, including guidance for providers. This will be available on our website from next month. Keep a look out in the next issue of our bulletin for more information.
Registration requirements for tongue-tie practitioners
CQC have recently confirmed registration requirements for tongue-tie procedures. Where ‘frenulotomy’ is carried by or under the supervision of a healthcare professional, it is the Regulated Activity ‘surgical procedures’. This is because it involves the surgical cutting and using an instrument to divide the lingual frenulum. It is not the Registered Activity ‘maternity and midwifery services’, even when it is carried out by a midwife.
There have been requests that individuals may continue to perform frenulotomy while any necessary applications for registration are made and determined, however CQC does not have the power to grant this. Registration with CQC is a statutory obligation for all those wanting to carry on a regulated activity. Visit our website for further information.
CQC refreshes its human rights approach to regulation
Since 2014 CQC has embedded a human rights approach in our regulatory framework to promote equality and human rights and ensure everyone using health and social care services receives safe and good quality care.
In order to reflect the changes within CQC and the wider health and social care system over the last four years, we have reviewed this approach and engaged with stakeholders about how to develop our human rights approach in future.
Our new priorities include applying our human rights approach to our work at a local area level, strengthening our intelligence and enforcement around human rights and continuing to support and empower our staff to consider human rights in their work. Read the report to find out more.
Other news
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A new report by the Royal College of Anaesthetists looks at how exercise and nutritional support before an operation could reduce the time patients spend recovering in hospital. The report showcases innovative and award-winning programmes in hospitals across England that are improving patient care before, during and after surgery.
- The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has launched a twelve-week consultation on reshaping midwifery care "for the next generation". Under the plans, emphasis is placed on continuity of care, mental health care for mothers and on promoting healthier lifestyles for women.
- The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that they are seeking bids from “air ambulance charities in England to apply for a new £10 million fund for upgraded equipment and facilities.”
- Health Education England (HEE) has launched a new “education and career framework” to help Maternity Support Workers (MSWs) to provide better maternity care support services. The new measures clarify the role and set out “the career and skills opportunities available to existing MSWs and those new to the role."
Follow us on Twitter!
Follow @CQCProf on Twitter to get regular updates about the work we are doing with professionals and provider organisations in England.
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