The CQC have been pretty quiet for a few weeks. This isn’t surprising given that they have to respect the “election period” which puts restrictions on what public bodies can publish and announce.
The “election period” has run since 0.01am on 6 November 2019 and will run until after the general election later this week.
The CQC makes it clear on its website that it will continue with all “business as usual” activities in its role as regulator, and we certainly have not seen a reduction in inspection, registration and enforcement activity.
The question is, however, have the CQC been busy in the background and can we expect a flurry of activity from 13 December 2019?
Since there have been a number of calls for reform in the sector over the past few months, including some pretty damning criticism of the CQC inspection regime, we would expect CQC will not have fully downed tools and, insofar as the pre-election period rules allow, will have been using the time to review and reconsider their policies and guidance and prepare for future consultations.
So there may well be a flurry of consultations, publications or other guidance following the election. Watch this space.
For further information on the restrictions on activity during the “election period”, the Cabinet office has published a guide for civil servants and public bodies which is available here.
For further information on the health and social care sector during the election process, or for advice on dealing with CQC matters, please contact us.
