The Minister of State, Department of Health (Norman Lamb)
I am announcing today the publication of the consultation on strengthening corporate accountability in health and social care.
“Transforming care: A national response to Winterbourne View hospital”, published in December 2012, identified weaknesses in the system of accountability where leaders of health and care organisations are not held to account for the delivery of poor-quality care services or for allowing a culture where neglect and abuse are rife. The report committed the Department of Health and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to look at existing powers and options to improve corporate accountability for safety and quality in providers of health and adult social care registered with CQC and to bring forward proposals for consultation in spring 2013.
The consultation document sets out proposals to introduce a new registration requirement covering the fitness of directors of boards and to improve the way that existing sanctions are used to prosecute providers for failings in the quality and safety of care. “A new start: a consultation on changes to the way CQC regulates, inspects and monitors care” published on 17 June also sets out further details on these issues. The consultation will inform the new draft regulations which will be set out by the Department in the autumn and which we propose to lay before Parliament at the end of 2013.
The consultation will run until 6 September 2013 and applies to England only. “Strengthening corporate accountability in health and social care: A consultation” has been placed in the Library of the House. Copies are available to hon. Members from the Vote Office and to noble Lords from the Printed Paper Office. It is also available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-health.