In April/May 2022 we surveyed chairs, chief executives and company secretaries for their views on the regulatory and oversight framework in which they operate. This is the seventh in our series of annual surveys exploring members' experience of regulation and oversight over the previous 12 months. This year's survey has had the highest response rate ever – 132 responses, representing 63% of the provider sector. All regions and trust types are represented.
Aware of the pressures they are facing, we are grateful for the time and attention trusts have given to their responses. In addition to the survey findings, our analysis and commentary in this report is informed by our ongoing engagement with trusts, and the experiences they have shared in our conversations with the regulators and beyond.
In this report, where we refer to 'the regulators' and 'national bodies' we mean CQC and NHSE/I, as these were the key regulatory bodies for providers in 2021/22.
Throughout the report, when making comparisons with previous years, we have used our 2019 and 2018 survey results. The results from our 2020 survey are not directly comparable, as questions were changed to reflect the immediate challenges of the pandemic. We did not carry out our survey in 2021 because of the pandemic. This year we have reverted to the wording used in 2019, to enable comparisons with the pre-pandemic era.