Following a site visit inspection the Care Quality Commission will produce an inspection report recording its findings. This includes rating a Trust. These reports are published and NHS Trusts must display their ratings.
Negative findings, breaches of regulations or ratings of ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ can have a negative effect on a service. Equally a Trust may be expecting a rating of ‘Outstanding’ but receives ‘Good’ and wishes to make representations about this.
Trusts have a short period of time to make factual accuracy comments and challenge the ratings made. If a Trust does not make representations, it will be deemed as accepting the findings.
Inspections can lead to other enforcement action. This can happen immediately or following a succession of reports showing non-compliance.
NHS Trusts can suffer reputational, staffing and financial damage as a result of an inaccurate inspection report. Poor ratings can lead to the involvement of NHS Improvement and influence whether a Trust enters mandated support or mandated intensive support.
Ridouts can help a Trust to challenge the factual accuracy of the report and the rationale behind the judgements. We will work with you to gather evidence and put together as robust response as possible.
Ridouts can help you by:
- Drafting factual accuracy comments submissions;
- Collating evidence in support of factual accuracy comments;
- Challenging ratings;
- Rating Reviews;
- Pre-action protocol letters and complaints where comments to inspection reports have not been thoroughly or properly considered.
