Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what regulatory powers the Care Quality Commission has to review the practice of online prescribing where it is aware of evidence that patients are being prescribed suboptimal treatment.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 all providers of regulated activities, including National Health Service and independent providers, have to register with CQC and meet a set of requirements of safety and quality. CQC is responsible for the regulation and inspection of regulated services.

CQC has provided the following information.

CQC regulates services that offer remote advice as this falls under the regulated activity of “Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely”. This covers medical advice where this advice is responsive; that is, for immediate attention or action and where that advice is provided remotely either over the telephone or by electronic mail by a body established for that purpose. It would also include the remote prescribing services in England and is set out in the Scope of Registration document on the CQC website.

As part of the CQC inspection process, CQC would look at the systems in place to ensure that patients receive safe, effective, caring and responsive care and whether the service provider is well led. In respect of a remote prescribing service this would include how the remote consultation is managed to adequately assess and treat patients. It would be expected that this would include regard for any relevant clinical or prescribing guidance and any concerns identified in this area would be followed up in line with CQC enforcement policy.

CQC does not look at individual patient prescriptions nor do CQC have the powers to challenge clinician’s prescribing decisions. This would be a matter for the relevant professional regulator.