Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the role of the Care Quality Commission is in respect of carrying out inspections of the standards of continence care in nursing homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. All providers of regulated activities, including National Health Service and independent providers, have to register with the CQC and follow a set of fundamental standards of safety and quality below which care should never fall.

The CQC assess providers against fundamental standards. The CQC has advised that the lack of adequate continence care could breach a number of the CQC fundamental standards; for example that people:

- must have care and treatment that is tailored to them and meets their needs and preferences;

- are treated with dignity and respect at all times whilst receiving care and treatment; and

- do not suffer any form of abuse or improper treatment, including neglect or degrading treatment, while receiving care.

The CQC considers continence as part of inspections wherever appropriate. If a specific concern over continence care was raised, the inspection would focus on this issue in greater detail.