 We’re taking an important step towards improving how we assess and rate health and social care providers by moving to a sector-based approach to regulation.
Feedback from our consultation at the end of last year showed overwhelming support for our proposal to move away from a single assessment framework to separate frameworks that are more specific and relevant to the health and care sectors that we regulate.
We have therefore developed an initial 4 draft assessment frameworks for:
- Adult social care
- Mental health care
- Primary care and community services
- Hospitals (secondary and specialist care)
These draft frameworks give clearer, more transparent and consistent judgements about quality across sectors.
We’re now inviting feedback from colleagues, providers, people who use services, and other partners.
Share your views through our online survey by 12 June.
 These monthly bulletins share important updates, guidance, and insights with providers. We want to understand how they are working for you.
This short survey is an opportunity to share your views on what’s helpful, what’s less useful, and what could be improved. Your feedback will directly support improvements to future bulletins and how information is shared with providers.
The survey is quick to complete and your responses will remain confidential.
 We have been made aware that a small number of providers have been contacted by people posing as CQC inspectors. Genuine inspectors visiting in person carry ID badges that include:
- a photograph of the inspector on the front
- a copy of our warrant on the reverse
- the signature of our Chief Executive in post at the time the card was issued.
If you are unsure about the identity of an inspector, please contact our enquiries team on 03000 616161. Our team can check the inspector's details before you allow them onto your premises.
For more information, including how to check the identity of a Specialist Advisor or what to do if an inspector contacts you by phone or email, visit our website.
 The Returning to Good and Outstanding project is a programme of focused assessments of our low risk primary care services, which started in March 2026.
These assessments will follow our established approach and methodology, but importantly, they will enable us to gain additional assurance from lower risk services that have not been inspected for some time. This project will run alongside our usual assessment activity.
Who will this affect?
The focus of this project will be the assessment of NHS GP practices that:
- hold a current rating of Good or Outstanding
- last had their inspection report published between 2017 and 2022
- are considered lower risk
- have no ongoing regulatory activity and are not dormant.
What will these assessments involve?
Assessments completed using this approach will:
- focus on 10 non-clinical quality statements
- include a site visit
- give at least 5 working days’ notice.
Assessments under this approach will not routinely involve a GP Specialist Advisor, however we will escalate to a full inspection with the support of GP Specialist Advisors if concerns are identified or if we need to make a positive escalation. We remain committed to using clinical expertise, and this project allows us to focus that expertise where it is most needed.
The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a consultation on proposals to extend smoke‑free places and introduce heated tobacco‑free and vape‑free places in England.
The proposals include a focus on health and care settings, such as hospitals, GP surgeries, dental practices, care homes with nursing, residential care homes and assisted living homes.
The consultation seeks views on proposals to:
- Extend smoke‑free laws to certain outdoor public places, including outside some health and care settings
- Introduce heated tobacco‑free places in existing indoor smoke‑free locations, and in certain outdoor settings, including outside some health and care settings
- Introduce vape‑free places in existing indoor smoke‑free locations and some outdoor settings (outside health and care settings would not be vape‑free to support smoking cessation)
- Introduce limited exemptions, for example designated smoking, heated tobacco and (where relevant) vaping areas in certain outdoor health and care settings
- Define boundaries and signage requirements for smoke‑free, heated tobacco‑free and vape‑free places.
The consultation closes on 8 May at 23:59. Please direct any queries to tobaccoandvapesconsultations@dhsc.gov.uk
The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking views on the potential use of DEXA scans outside of a healthcare pathway.
This consultation aims to seek views on the potential use of DEXA scans for non-medical purposes, in particular whether:
- the use of DEXA for non-medical purposes should be justified for both elite athletes and other individuals monitoring their body composition under general fitness and sporting programmes
- its use should exclude children, young people and individuals known to be pregnant
- there should be limits on the number of scans undertaken by an individual within a set timeframe.
This consultation closes at 11:59pm on 1 June 2026.
-
Thank you to everyone who attended our Assessment Framework Roadshow in Manchester and Birmingham. If you attended or had signed up but were unable to attend, please share your feedback via the relevant survey to help shape the next phase of this work.
-
Subscribe to our WhatsApp channel, where we share the latest news and updates on improving how we work.
|
