Accounts, Prepared Pursuant to Schedule 6, Section 10 (4) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, of the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection for the Period Ended 31 March 2004, Together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Thereon
Accounts, Prepared Pursuant to Schedule 6, Section 10 (4) of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003, of the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection for the Period Ended 31 March 2004, Together with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Thereon
The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (the Healthcare Commission) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department of Health. It was established in January 2004 under the 2003 Act, and these accounts cover the financial period 8 January 2004 to 31 March 2004
The Care Quality Commission had a difficult task in establishing itself and has not so far achieved value for money in regulating the quality and safety of health and adult social care in England. The Commission, formed in 2009, had to merge three existing regulators to establish a new organisation and implement a new regulatory approach, which for the first time integrates health and social care. The Commission's budget is less than the combined budget of its predecessor bodies, even though it has more responsibilities. Even so, it underspent against budget in both 2009-10 and 2010-11. This was partly because it had a significant number of staff vacancies. The process for registering care providers did not go smoothly. Although 21,600 providers are now registered, the timetable for two of the three tranches of registrations was not met. The Commission diverted inspectors from compliance activity to registration work in a bid to meet the timetable. As a result of this and the number of inspector vacancies, the Commission completed only 47 per cent of the target number of compliance reviews between October 2010 and April 2011. Although clearly defined, the Commission's role as a regulator has not always been communicated effectively to the public and providers. In addition, proposals to extend the Commission's role risk distracting the Commission from its core work of regulating health and social care. In the absence of measures of impact, the National Audit Office assessed value for money in terms of whether the Commission delivered what it set out to deliver.
The Healthcare Commission is the independent watchdog for England. Its function is to assess and report on the quality and safety of services provide by the NHS and independent sector. This is the fifth and final annual 'State of Healthcare Report', as the Commission is to be replaced by the Care Quality Commission on 1 April 2009. The report is mainly about the findings for the financial year 2007-08, but it also reflects on the progress that has been made in healthcare over the past five years. The report presents six pictures of the state of healthcare: for mothers; for children and young people; for people with mental health needs; for people with a learning disability; for people needing urgent and hospital care; and of the support offered to enhance people's health and wellbeing in the community. The Commission highlights improvements, with better use and management of resources in the NHS, falling death rates from cancer and heart disease, progress in public health matters such as smoking, a greater attention to safety. Concerns remain, however: a variable picture of quality in maternity services, mental health services and urgent care; commissioning of healthcare; meeting the needs of the more vulnerable in society; children's services; care for older people. Further improvement is needed to ensure that patients really are at the centre of care, are able to make meaningful choices, be fully involved in decisions and have the information they need.
This is the Commission's first annual report on the provision of healthcare in England and Wales by or for NHS bodies. Issues discussed include: the organisation of health care services, including NHS and independent providers; an overview of the health of the population; care of children in hospital; staying well in old age; the experience of black and ethnic minorities in mental health care; waiting times for care services; auditing clinical quality; expenditure and value for money; the independent sector and regulatory issues; learning from patients experiences; and a comparison of healthcare services with health systems in eight other countries (including Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Sweden).
Public expenditure on health and personal social Services 2007 : Memorandum received from the Department of Health containing replies to a written questionnaire from the Committee, written Evidence
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