Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of directing the Care Quality Commission to assess the adequacy of care home laundry hygiene standards.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care providers in England. The CQC’s fundamental standard for premises and equipment, under Regulation 15 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, requires ancillary services, such as laundry rooms, to be maintained in line with the fundamental standard. People using the service and staff using the equipment should be trained to use it or be supervised and/or risk assessed as necessary.

Where a health and care provider does not comply with Regulation 15, the CQC can take regulatory action.