Care Quality Commission and GIRFT Working for Patient Safety
Two key organisations monitoring and ensuring the provision of safe and effective healthcare in England work towards clearer co-operation.
Who are CQC and GIRFT?
The 'Getting It Right First Time' programme, part of NHS Improvement, aims to improve the quality and consistency of healthcare nationwide. The organisation works to ensure the sharing of best practice between health trusts, aiming thereby to improve the quality of health care provision and the safety of patients.
The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and care provision in England. Their purpose is 'to ensure that health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve.' The commission monitors and inspects providers of care services and takes action where necessary.
Whilst GIRFT evaluates the delivery of medical specialties such as urology or spinal services nationwide, the CQC undertakes inspections of healthcare services such as hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes to ensure that they are providing an acceptable standard of care.
New Memorandum of Understanding
These two organisations have now published a Memorandum of Understanding to clarify how they will co-operate and work together to achieve their joint aims.
According to the CQC, an effective working relationship between these two organisations is underpinned by the following aims:
- To safeguard the well-being of people receiving health and social care in England;
- To promote patient safety;
- To support improvements in care.
The new agreement between these organisations clarifies the basis on which they will work together, identifying the following principles of co-operation:
- The need to make decisions that promote people's safety and high-quality health and social care
- Respect for each organisation's status
- The need to maintain public and professional confidence in the two organisations
- The need to use resources effectively and efficiently
- Addressing overlaps and gaps in the regulatory framework
Medical negligence
It is the role of organisations such as these to identify where health services are failing and to try to bring about improvement.
Errors of diagnosis, treatment and care do occur and a learning culture is essential to long-term patient health.
Where an individual suffers long-term disability due to failings in medical care, it may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation for the patient's pain, suffering and financial losses caused by the negligence.
Speak to a solicitor
If you or a loved one are suffering the impact of substandard medical care, contact Glynns Solicitors, specialists in medical negligence compensation claims, to talk to an experienced solicitor.
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