NHS Providers position statement on effective regulation

During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, both NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I) and Care Quality Commission (CQC) scaled back their regulatory approach substantially. CQC paused all routine inspections and provider information requests, and introduced an Emergency Support Framework to respond to areas of critical risk or safety concerns. In October, they published their draft strategy for 2021 onwards, outlining how they plan to transform their regulatory approach. NHSE/I also suspended their core oversight activities during the pandemic and are now developing a system oversight framework to support the progression of system working priorities over the coming year. 

Now, as they begin to set out their future approaches within this new context, alongside the accelerated shift towards system working and new innovative models of care, regulatory and oversight frameworks are set to evolve considerably in the years to come. This position statement sets out our principles for regulation which will inform how we seek to influence the frameworks on behalf of trusts.