Responding to CQC enforcement action

Care Quality Commission (“CQC”) inspections can lead to enforcement action to ensure providers improve their services. The CQC has both civil and criminal powers – civil enforcement action aims to make sure providers improve the service, while criminal powers are used by the body to hold individuals accountable.

Enforcement action can range from low-level, for example a provider being found in breach of regulations in an inspection report, to significant – such as having a registration suspended or cancelled.

Appropriate responses also avoid escalation – ignoring such action can lead to more severe consequences. The right response also maintains the reputation of your organisation, through showing accountability – helping to preserve trust and reputation amongst stakeholders.

Along with the above, responding effectively to any enforcement action demonstrates a commitment to compliance and improvement. Likewise, addressing the issues noted by the CQC can lead to better governance, improved care standards and a stronger organisation.

The ways in which to respond to CQC action are covered in our Healthcare Regulatory team’s latest video, in which Legal Director Caroline Barker talks to Partner Laura Shelton about the types of action she’s seeing more of, as well as the processes and timeframes involved in challenging enforcement action.