The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has updated its regulatory approach to help create more capacity in adult social care as it faces pressure from Covid this winter.
On 13 December, the CQC postponed until early January the inspections of services who are delivering or supporting the delivery of the booster programme, except where there is evidence of risk to life, or the immediate risk of serious harm to people.
Its ambition is to complete 1,000 infection prevention and control inspections in adult social care over the winter period, and respond rapidly to requests to set up new Designated Settings.
From January, the CQC will begin a programme of activity to rate adult social care services that are registered and not yet rated and to inspect providers currently rated as Requires Improvement, to identify where improvement has taken place and re-rate where possible.
“We know that services across health and social care are experiencing considerable pressure from the spread of the Omicron variant and winter. While our priority always remains to keep people safe we will continue to ensure that our approach remains appropriate and proportionate,” the CQC said in a statement.
“We also want to recognise the work of everyone in health and social care. Your efforts ensure people are able to receive care and the delivery of the vaccination programme,” it added.
