The Department of Health has announced this week that all public and private healthcare organisations will be subject to a legal requirement to clearly display their CQC rating. The intention is to strengthen transparency and enable service users to make more informed choices about their care.
The requirement is set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on ‘transparency in care: visible ratings for healthcare providers’. The requirement will apply to all organisations regulated by CQC including hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes. The response states that CQC ratings must be made clearly visible such as in waiting rooms or by the entrance to the service and must also be published on the provider’s website and include a link to the inspection report.
All providers will be required to comply with the new requirement from April 2015 (subject to parliamentary approval). CQC will have the power to impose a fine if providers fail to comply which will usually be in the form of a £100 penalty notice. CQC is currently asking providers to share their thoughts on how they can ensure they are meeting these new requirements from April 2015.
