Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to enable CQC investigations to report on issues outside their statutory scope.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) was established under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. Its remit is to monitor, inspect, assess and regulate services and publish inspection reports on what it finds. Under the 2008 Act, section 48 enables the CQC to carry out special reviews and investigations into the provision of National Health Service care and adult social care, as well as NHS England and integrated care board commissioning of NHS care and local authority commissioning of adult social services.

While CQC cannot use special reviews to focus on issues outside of its scope, it may comment on areas outside of its scope as part of its findings, should this provide further context or impact on the quality of care. There are currently no plans to enable the CQC to report on issues outside its current statutory scope. Any changes to widen the CQC’s scope will require legislation.