Hospital Pharmacist
2007;14:321
November 2007

News summary

New health regulator

Health care providers that fail to provide good quality and safe care for the public could be ordered to close temporarily by the new regulator for health and adult social care. The Department of Health has announced that the new regulator — to be called the Care Quality Commission (CQC) — will bring together the expertise of the Healthcare Commission, Committee for Social Care Inspection and Mental Health Act Commission.

Unlike its predecessors, the CQC will not just bring problems to the attention of the government and public. It will be empowered to take rapid and appropriate action against health care providers that put patients or service users at risk. The CQC is expected to assume its duties in April 2009.