Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on encouraging clinical commissioning groups to require providers to complete the Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) self-assessment tool and apply for accreditation with UKAS and achieve accreditation within the duration of their contract.

NHS England does not collect information about the progress made on encouraging clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to require providers to complete the Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) self-assessment tool and apply for accreditation with United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and achieve accreditation within the duration of their contract.

However, Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss – a Framework for CCGs, published in July 2016, strongly encourages CCGs to expect providers to have completed the IQIPS self-assessment tool and applied for accreditation with UKAS, and achieve accreditation within the duration of their contract. This is reflected in the model service specification for adults.