Care England Challenges CQC leadership to act on Dr. Penny Dash’s critical review

Care England, the leading voice of adult social care providers in England, welcomes the candid insights presented in Dr. Penny Dash’s review into the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regulator for health and social care.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Care England, said:

“The government may found the initial revelations in July surprising, and the CQC may act as though these issues are only just emerging; but the adult social care sector has been raising the alarm for years, calling for urgent intervention from both parties. The time for action is now. The sector can no longer afford systematic delay from those accountable for the CQC’s failures.”

Dr. Penny Dash’s independent review into the Care Quality Commission (CQC) highlighted several critical issues, including:

• Poor operational performance and challenges with the provider portal and regulatory platform.
• Poor presentation of reports and a loss of credibility within the health and care sectors due to reduced sector expertise.
• Concerns surrounding the Single Assessment Framework (SAF), including lack of clarity, inconsistency in care assessments, and insufficient focus on outcomes and innovation.
• Lack of transparency in rating calculations, often relying on outdated inspection data.
• Missed opportunities to enhance the CQC’s role in improving quality across the health and care sector.
• Concerns regarding CQC’s early Integrated Care System (ICS) assessments and opportunities to improve the CQC’s relationship with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The review also identified areas for further examination, such as one-word ratings, CQC finances, and the wider regulatory landscape.

Ultimately, the review sets forth seven key recommendations:

1. Urgently improve operational performance, fix the provider portal, and enhance report quality.
2. Rebuild expertise and relationships to restore credibility.
3. Revise the SAF with clear descriptors and a stronger focus on effectiveness, outcomes, and innovation.
4. Improve transparency in rating calculations.
5. Evolve local authority assessments.
6. Pause ICS assessments.
7. Strengthen sponsorship arrangements to ensure CQC provides accountable, efficient, and effective services.

In July, when Dr. Dash published the interim report, Kate Terroni, the then interim Chief Executive of the CQC, issued an apology for the errors made and the consequent erosion of trust within the sector. She acknowledged that they’ve “made mistakes” and expressed regret for the impact these errors have had.

Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, labelled the CQC as “not fit for purpose”, failing those the organisation is meant regulate, and the individuals who rely on these regulations to guarantee them safe, high-quality care.

Martin Green continued:

“Dr. Penny Dash’s report delivers a stark and unequivocal verdict: the CQC has failed in its core mission to uphold the quality and safety of care. This failure has not only jeopardised the well-being of those who rely on the system for essential support but has also let down the thousands of providers which deliver that care. The CQC’s inability to uphold the standards it was created to enforce has fundamentally undermined its credibility and eroded the trust placed in it by both the sector and the public.

 

Sir Julian Hartley will have the support of Care England and the entire sector in his new role, but he must act swiftly to re-establish credibility and trust. However, the responsibility to do this extends beyond the Chief Executive; the CQC Board must also take full accountability for the organisation’s failure. The sector demands immediate action to restore confidence, and decisive leadership is essential  to rectify the situation and secure a better future for service users and care providers alike.

 

Our message to the CQC is clear: work with us to rebuild a system that genuinely prioritises quality, safety, and trust. This effort must include addressing internal shortcomings and engaging meaningfully with both care providers and service users alike to ensure their voices and concerns are not just heard but acted upon. Together, we can establish a regulatory environment that is transparent, supportive, and truly effective; restoring faith in the system and upholding the high standards of care that everyone deserves.”

Following publication of the full report, Wes Streeting, The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has now asked Dr Dash to conduct two further reviews moving her focus from operational effectiveness to patient safety and quality of the CQC, and five other organisations.

Reacting to this announcement, Martin Green concluded:

“While it’s encouraging to see further reviews focusing on patient safety and quality, these must not become a reason to delay taking immediate action on the findings from today. The critical issues identified in this review are clear, and the CQC cannot afford to wait any longer to implement meaningful reforms. Immediate steps are needed to restore trust and ensure that both providers and service users are no longer left in limbo, and paying for services they are not receiving.”