MEETING: / CQC PUBLIC BOARD MEETING
DATE: / 19 JUNE2013
TITLE OF PAPER: / CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT TO THE BOARD
SUMMARY:
This report from the Chief Executive to the Board provides an update on a selection of developments and key issues not otherwise covered on the Board’s agenda.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
The Board is asked to note the content of the report
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Executive Decision/
Board for information / Executive and Board decision / Executive and Board shared decision / Executive and Board discussion/Board decision
The Executive Team has made a decision and the Board has been informed / The Board has been consulted in order for the Executive Team to make a decision / This is a shared decision between the Executive Team and Board / This is for when it is clear that it is a specific Board decision (under statutory and legal requirements) ie. signing off the annual accounts
* Check box as required
LEAD DIRECTOR: / David Behan
AUTHOR: / Naomi Paterson
DATE: / 12 June 2013
SUPPORTING
PAPERS: / None

GOVERNANCE

AUDIT TRAIL: / This report has been signed off by the Chief Executive, with input from the Executive Team.
LINK TO STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND BUSINESS PLAN / The items covered in this report which address an aspect of CQC regulatory or business activity are all connected to the business plan for 2013/14 and strategic objectives set out in the 2013/14 – 2015/15 Strategy.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: / Financial impacts have been considered for the relevant individual issues for which an update is provided.
RISK IMPACT: / Risk impacts have been considered for the relevant individual issues for which an update is provided.
REPUTATION IMPACT: / Reputational impacts have been considered for the relevant individual issues for which an update is provided.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS: / Legal implications have been considered for the relevant individual issues for which an update is provided.
HEALTHWATCH IMPACT: / Where there is an impact these will have been considered through the relevant programme board or directly with HealthWatch England
EQUALITY IMPACT
ASSESSMENT: / Equality Impact Assessments have been considered for the relevant individual issues for which an update is provided.

Introduction

This is a paper for the Board to note.

The report this month provides an update on the following matters:

  1. Consultation
  2. Care Bill
  3. James Mayes Award
  4. Progress on appointments
  1. Consultation

As I indicated at the previous Board meeting in May, proposed changes to our regulatory action will be preceded by extensive engagement and consultation. On 17 June we will launch a consultation on proposed changes to our inspection methodology and the introduction of ratings.

The Strategy set out CQC’s role and purpose. We will have clear standards to help us to judge whether or not services are safe, effective, caring, well-led and responsive to people’s needs. We will make professional, intelligence-based judgements about specialities, sites and Trusts.We will acknowledge and highlight excellent care, whilst being clear that providers and commissioners are responsible for improvement.

In the consultation document we invite responses in relation to our inspection model and system of ratings. A programme of internal and external events to have face to face discussions, supported with online activity, is being arranged, including:

  • 8 advisory group meetings with stakeholders
  • 8 meetings with providers (CQC)
  • 5 meetings with providers (CQC and NHS England Francis team)
  • 40+ staff roadshows
  • webform on the internet for public responses

The consultation will last eight weeks.

  1. Care Bill

The Care Bill is currently being debated - the first session of the Lords Committee Stage regarding the clauses that relate to CQC was on 12 June.

  • Warning notices for NHS Trusts / Foundation Trusts – a change from the current warning notices to a new notice. Monitor can impose licence conditions where CQC issues such a notice. The only amendment was for there to be a definition of “significant improvement” – CQC may issue a warning notice if significant improvement is required. The definition may be in regulations or in CQC guidance.
  • NHS single failure regime to allow CQC to require Monitor (in the case of foundation trusts) or the TDA (in the case of NHS trusts) to begin the special administration regime where an NHS trust or foundation trust fails on grounds of quality. This was debated on 12 June but no amendments were made.
  • Limits on a provider de-registering (where CQC has already served a Notice of Proposal or Notice of Decision to alter or cancel the provider’s registration – a change to section 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008). No amendments were tabled relating to this, so it was not discussed on 12 June.
  • Unitary CQC Board to allow for the appointment of executive directors, in addition to the Chief Executive, to be members of the Board. Although there was some discussion by the Committee as to whether the Chief Inspectors should be added to the Board, no amendment was made to do so.
  • Criminal offence of providing false or misleading information, to be investigated by the police and Crown Prosecution Service. No amendments were made.

Additionally, amendments were debated on the duty of candour - this will appear in secondary legislation relating to CQC’s amended registration regulations.

A proposal to merge the HFEA and HTA (giving CQC the HFEA’s duties relating to the licensing of fertility clinics), and a proposal to transfer the NRLS database from NHS England to CQC were withdrawn.

The next Committee session is scheduled for 3 July. It is anticipated that the debate will cover the legislation on ratings before moving on to the legislation on social care:

  • Introduction of ratings for health and social care providers.
  • Market oversight to aid continuity of care in requesting sustainability plans from providers in financial difficulty. The Secretary of State will set regulations to outline the criteria for inclusion in the scheme. It is expected that these will include geographical concentration of a single provider, the provision of specialist services, and the overall number of people receiving care from a single provider.

Alongside the Care Bill a joint policy statement regarding the regulation and oversight of NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts was issued by CQC, Monitor, NHS England and the Trust Development Authority (May 2013).

  1. James Mayes Award 20013/14

The James Mayes Award is offered to staff in memory of James Mayes, an analyst at the Healthcare Commission who was killed in the London Transport bombings on 7 July 2005. The award aims to provide an opportunity for a CQC employee or employees to take a placement in an external organisation and undertake a research and self-development opportunity. Applications are invited from all CQC employees, and considered by a panel that includes Mr and Mrs Mayes and a friend of James.

The panel decision was to divide the Award between four individuals - Dinah Mathew and Alan Swain, both Compliance Inspectors, Joe Williams, a Regional Intelligence and Evidence Officer, and Susan Talbot, a Children’s Services Inspector. Each recipient has been allocated a mentor from within CQC. At the end of their research, each individual will take part in a webinar to share their experiences and to present a report on what they have learnt and how this will translate into their own work and their team’s work at CQC, bringing value to CQC and what we hope to achieve.

  1. Progress on appointments

Professor Sir Michael Richards was appointed as Chief Inspector of Hospitals within CQC. He will take up the post in September.The appointment of Mike Richards as the Chief Inspector of Hospitalswas very warmly welcomed by several peers during the debates on the Care Bill.

Five non-Executive Directors have been appointed to join CQC’s Board:

  • Dr Jennifer Dixon is chief executive of the Nuffield Trust and has just completed a review into ratings for health and social care. She is a former member of the Healthcare Commission board, a former advisor to the NHS chief executive, and the former director of policy at the Kings Fund. She is also a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.
  • Camilla Cavendish is an award-winning journalist, Associate Editor of the Sunday Times and is currently leading the Cavendish Review, an independent review into the training and support of healthcare assistants. She has been an analyst at McKinsey & Co, Chief Executive of the South Bank Employers' Group and assistant to the Chief Executive at Pearson Plc.
  • Professor Louis Appleby currently national clinical director for offender health, having been national director for mental health from 2000-2010. He is professor of psychiatry at the University of Manchester. He developed the national suicide prevention strategy for England.
  • Paul Corrigan is a former health policy advisor to Tony Blair and former special advisor to Alan Milburn and John Reid. He is adjunct professor at Imperial College Institute of Global Health.
  • Michael Mire is currently a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, where he has over 30 years of experience. He has focused on retailing, financial services and transformation. He is retiring from McKinsey this year.

No appointment has yet been made to the Director of Corporate Services role – I hope to continue interviewing for this position next month.

The Board is asked to note the content of the report.

Name: / David Behan
Chief Executive
Date / 12 June2013

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