Citation
(2001), "New independent watchdog for care services", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 14 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2001.06214eab.006
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited
New independent watchdog for care services
New independent watchdog for care services
In April the new National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) came into being in the UK. The NCSC will regulate social care services as well as private and voluntary health care – including all care homes and children's homes, as well as private hospitals and clinics.
The independent commission will carry out regular inspections of services and will have strong powers of enforcement to make sure that services meet required standards. This is intended to drive up quality and improve the level of protection for vulnerable people.
These services have been regulated by local councils and health authorities, but will be taken over by the NCSC next year, when it becomes fully operational. Some services will be regulated for the first time, such as the care provided to people in their own homes.
Members of the NCSC board are drawn from a variety of backgrounds, with the majority being lay people. Health Minister Mr John Hutton said the Government had been overwhelmed by the number and the quality of applications from people who were interested in being part of the NCSC. He said he believed it was an indication of the public commitment to the work of the Commission in driving up the standards of care in the UK and introducing regulatory arrangements that are both fair and thorough.