UK - Healthcare Commission - patients get chance to perform health check on independent healthcare providers

Citation

(2007), "UK - Healthcare Commission - patients get chance to perform health check on independent healthcare providers", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 20 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2007.06220cab.005

UK - Healthcare Commission - patients get chance to perform health check on independent healthcare providers

Keywords: Performance management, Healthcare standards, Patient choice

New web site service to help patients see performance against standards in private and voluntary sectors.

Patients and the public are to have easier access to information on how well healthcare providers in the independent sector are meeting standards.

The Healthcare Commission has launched a new web service that provides information about performance in independent acute hospitals, mental health units and independent sector treatment centers.

Anna Walker, Chief Executive of the Healthcare Commission, said: “We want to make sure that patients have access to information about the standards of care they can expect to receive, wherever they receive it. It’s important that patients know that healthcare services meet these standards. All healthcare providers should be accountable to the communities they serve.”

Each independent sector provider is assessed against 32 core standards and a range of service-specific standards. These standards are not the same as the ones that apply to the NHS but they do cover broadly similar issues.

The standards look at the minimum requirements for a provider to practice, ranging from ensuring that employees are appropriately recruited and receive adequate training to ensuring that medical equipment is decontaminated properly.

Last October, the Commission published its annual State of Healthcare Report, which for the first time gave an overall national picture of performance in the independent sector against core minimum standards. The new web service contains the details of how individual independent providers faired against each of those standards, at the time of inspection.

People will be able to search the information by provider name or by postcode, as well as by standard. To make this information more accessible and relevant to the public, the results have been grouped under four important questions:

1. 1.

   How safe and clean is the service?

2. 2.

   How good is the care I will receive?

3. 3.

   Will I be treated with dignity and respect?

4. 4.

   How well is the organization managed?

The commission plans to work with patients, public and the independent sector to further develop the information available.

Ms Walker said: “Patients should be clear that independent providers are inspected against more prescriptive standards than is the case in the NHS. But these standards are important and they must be met.”

If a provider fails to meet standards or comply with regulations, the Commission asks for an action plan. If the problem is not solved within specified timescales, enforcement action can be taken, including prosecution.

“Patient safety is the paramount concern for the Commission,” said Ms Walker. “If an inspection reveals what we believe to be an unacceptable level of risk, we will take action. We have the powers to prosecute or cancel registration, though initially we aim to ensure standards are in place.”

In the acute sector:

• •

  6 per cent of establishments met all 32 core standards;

• •

  33 per cent met at least 29 core standards; and

• •

  6 per cent were “not met” on five or more core standards.

Looking at core standards in the acute sector where compliance was highest:

• •

  98 per cent met the core standard surrounding the sensitive and appropriate handling of death (core standard C5);

• •

  98 per cent met the core standard relating to the ability of personnel to express concerns (C16); and

• •

  94 per cent met the core standard relating to the provision of appropriate catering services. (C19).

Looking at core standards in the acute sector where there was room for improvement:

• •

  10 per cent were “not met” on the core standard relating to appropriately completed health records (C30);

• •

  8 per cent were “not met” on the core standard relating to appropriately recruited, trained and qualified healthcare professionals. (This relates to C10 which refers specifically to trained and qualified healthcare professionals – people who work for but are not directly employed by the organization, as opposed to staff covered by standard C9); and

• •

  8 per cent were “not met” on the core standard relating to minimization of health care associated infection (C25).

In its State of Healthcare Report the Commission pointed out that independent providers of mental healthcare were “not met” on a relatively high number of standards. The NHS pays for around 80 per cent of the patients using these services, including people detained under the Mental Health Act.

In the mental health sector:

• •

  3 per cent met all 32 core standards;

• •

  18 per cent met at least 29 core standards; and

• •

  17 per cent were “not met” on five or more core standards.

Looking at compliance with specific core standards in mental health sector:

• •

  95 percent of organizations met core standard C16 which enables staff to raise concerns (C16);

• •

  22 per cent of independent mental health providers failed to have an acceptable resuscitation policy (C27);

• •

  20 per cent failed to ensure that patients received treatment in premises that are safe and appropriate (C17);

• •

  18 per cent failed to properly monitor quality of treatment and care (C4); and

• •

  there are 21 independent sector treatment centers, many newly registered. Inspections have been completed at 11 centers. While compliance was generally good, there remains room for improvement.

The assessments of the independent sector are not directly comparable with the NHS, as different legislation applies, but there are common themes.

The Commission’s recently published annual health check of NHS trusts showed:

• •

  20 per cent of trusts could not assure the Commission that they ensured that healthcare staff attended compulsory training;

• •

  13 per cent could not assure the Commission that they have systems to ensure that all reusable medical devices are properly decontaminated; and

• •

  12 per cent could not assure the Commission that they have systems to minimize all risks associated with the acquisition and use of medical devices.

The new information on the web site will be updated regularly as new inspection reports are produced. The Commission plans to expand the site to include other services such as clinics carrying out termination of pregnancy and cosmetic laser procedures.

For further information: www.healthcarecommission.org.uk