In a time of ever-tightening budgets CQC’s spending on travel, food and accommodation has recently come under scrutiny. The CQC’s Hospital inspection team were given a budget of £1.1 million for the year to April 2015 but spent £4.4 million.
The figures appear alarming at first but one should note that inspections of hospitals can involve over 50 inspectors over 5 days. Some inspections have involved over 100 members of the team. The inspection team’s budget is applied to travel, food and accommodation during inspection stays.
CQC state in response to this that the increase in spending is as a result of the new inspection regime and the increased demands of inspectors. CQC also state that it has kept within budget for expenses in the other sectors which it inspects; adult social care and primary medical services.
