Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the Care Quality Commision's policy on the number of inspection visits that should take place in a 12 month period to mental health facilities rated as (1) inadequate, (2) requires improvement, (3) good, or (4) outstanding; and how frequently providers should expect a full quality ratings review from the Care Quality Commission when rated as (1) requires improvement, or (2) inadequate.

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) planned the frequency of routine inspections based on ratings, whilst retaining the ability to inspect at any time in response to risk. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the CQC paused routine inspections and adapted its regulatory model by using an intelligence driven approach, focusing on services where risk to service users is greatest. This approach will continue to develop as the CQC learns from the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.