MPs criticise Care Quality Commission for cutting back on inspections

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been sharply rebuked by the parliamentary health select committee for neglecting its main role of inspecting England’s health and social care services.

A 70% fall in the number of inspections in the second half of 2010-11 was the result of the commission ignoring its core function and diverting resources instead to registering thousands of dentists, it claims.

The House of Commons Health Committee says in a new report that it is “extremely concerned” that compliance activity fell to such low levels. “It demonstrates a failure to manage resources and activity in line with the main statutory objective of the CQC to protect and promote the health, safety and welfare of people who use health and social care services,” it concludes.

Rosie Cooper, Labour MP for West Lancashire and a member of the committee, said, “It’s really disappointing that the CQC allowed itself to get trapped, leaving vulnerable people at …