Framework Agreement Between the Department of Health and the Care Quality Commission

Framework Agreement between the Department of Health and the Care Quality Commission

Annex D: Relationships with other bodies

Department of Health and Care Quality Commission Framework Agreement 2014 Annex D 1

Relationships with other bodies

1. In order to deliver its functions current standards and longer-term efficiently and effectively, and to targets for quality. support alignment across the whole system, CQC has a general duty to • With NHS Trust Development work closely with most bodies within Authority (NTDA): The two the health and social care industry organisations will work together on and has a specific duty to co- the interface between CQC’s role in operate with other Arms Length providing assurance of essential Bodies (ALBs) and other bodies (eg levels of safety and quality, and the the Parliamentary and Health NTDA's role in driving quality Service Ombudsman, Ofsted etc) in improvement work in NHS Trusts the exercise of their functions. The (to meet that standards required for key relationships with DH ALBs foundation trust status). The include: Department of Health is putting in place a new, single, failure regime in which CQC, led by the new Chief • With Monitor: Monitor and CQC Inspector of Hospitals, will be will operate a joint licensing responsible for assessing the process for providers that require quality of care. The NTDA will both an economic and quality oversee improvements for NHS licence and ensure that any Trusts. conditions imposed upon registered providers and license holders are • With Health and Social Care not inconsistent. Both bodies are Information Centre: CQC will be required to assist each other in the able to require the Information exercise of their functions through Centre to collect information where sharing information relevant to their necessary to allow CQC to fulfil its work. The Department of Health is statutory duties, subject to the putting in place a new single failure constraints in the Health and Social regime in which CQC, led by the Care Act 2012, or made in new Chief Inspector of Hospitals, regulations. will be responsible for assessing the quality of care. Monitor will • With Medicines and Healthcare oversee improvements for NHS products Regulatory Agency: foundation trusts. MHRA and CQC will support each other’s respective regulatory roles. • With NHS England: CQC is responsible for ensuring that • With National Institute of Clinical existing services are of a suitable Excellence: CQC will use NICE’s quality; NHS England is disease and condition-based responsible for driving the longer- guidance and quality standards as term quality improvement process. a reference when reviewing This will require NHS England and providers who are failing to meet

CQC to work together to define registration standards.

• With Health Education England: HEE will be responsible for the Department of Health and Care Quality Commission Framework Agreement 2014 Annex D 2

quality assurance framework • With NHS England: Healthwatch around education and training England will provide statutory commissioning. It will work with the advice to NHS England in relation CQC to ensure that education and to the views and experiences of training outcomes support the delivery of service quality health and social care service outcomes. CQC will provide users and the public and the views assurance that essential levels of of local Healthwatch organisations safety and quality are being met on the standard of provision of and share specific intelligence with health and social care services, HEE on staffing standards and and whether or how the standard competencies. could be improved. • With Health Research Authority: HRA and CQC will share common • With DH itself: Healthwatch standards for research governance England will provide statutory for providers of activities regulated advice to the Secretary of State in by CQC and for research involving relation to the views and ionising radiation. experiences of health and social

care service users and the public Healthwatch England and the views of local Healthwatch 2. Healthwatch England is part of organisations on the standard of CQC but operates independently provision of health and social care of it. The key relationships with services, and whether or how the DH ALBs include: standard could be improved.

• With Monitor: Healthwatch England • With CQC itself: Healthwatch will provide statutory advice to England will provide statutory Monitor in relation to the views and advice to CQC in relation to the experiences of health and social views and experiences of health care service users and the public and social care service users and and the views of local Healthwatch the public and the views of local organisations on the standard of Healthwatch organisations on the provision of health and social care standard of provision of health and services, and whether or how the social care services, and whether standard could be improved. or how the standard could be

improved.

Department of Health and Care Quality Commission Framework Agreement 2014 Annex D 3