Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve hospital inspections to ensure adequate treatment and care for patients with mental health conditions.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and is responsible for deciding its own regulatory inspection and assessment framework.

The CQC is delivering a programme of improvement to its regulation of inpatient and community mental health services, with specific improvements for people who are subject to the Mental Health Act 1983 and a focus on human rights principles.