1. Diagnostic accreditation and the quality agenda – CQC’s perspective
NHS England Accreditation Masterclass
20 April 2017 1
Strategy Slides - 24 May MASTER 1

2. Our purpose
The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.
Very brief explanation – the audience will be varied and not every one will necessarily have a good knowledge of what CQC does.
We have completed our first round of inspections of NHS acute and mental health providers. We are refining our methodology for the next phase of inspections, building on the key priorities of our strategy.
Strategy Slides - 24 May MASTER

3. Four priorities to achieve our strategic ambition
Encourage improvement, innovation and sustainability in care
Deliver an intelligence-driven approach to regulation
Promote a single shared view of quality
Improve our efficiency and effectiveness
Have particularly highlighted priorities 3 and 4 as this is where the use of accreditation schemes is most pertinent.
Also need to bring out that using accreditation schemes:
Helps reduce the burden on providers and reduces duplication
Recognises that accreditation schemes look at some clinical services to a far greater depth than a CQC inspection can
Further explanation of the four priorities:
1. Encourage improvement, innovation and sustainability in care – we will work with others to support improvement, adapt our approach as new care models develop, and publish new ratings of NHS trusts’ and foundation trusts’ use of resources.
2. Deliver an intelligence-driven approach to regulation – we will use our information more effectively to target our resources where the risk to the quality of care provided is greatest and to check where quality is improving, and we will introduce a more proportionate approach to registration.
3. Promote a single shared view of quality – we will work with others to agree a consistent approach to defining and measuring quality, collecting information from providers, and working together towards a single vision of high-quality care.
4. Improve our efficiency and effectiveness – we will work more efficiently, achieving savings each year, and improving how we work with the public and providers.
Strategy Slides - 24 May MASTER

4. How does diagnostic accreditation fit into the quality and regulatory agenda?
CQC supports NHS England’s position on accreditation schemes for diagnostic services and will take account of accreditation status in our new inspection approach:
We will reflect participation in diagnostic accreditation schemes in the provider well-led key question, as evidence of a commitment to quality improvement and assurance.
Where possible, we will use accreditation under a diagnostic accreditation scheme to reduce or replace regulatory review. If a provider is not accredited under an appropriate scheme, we will consider this as a factor when deciding whether to include diagnostic imaging as an additional service in our inspection.
Diagnostic accreditation schemes approved for use by CQC:
Imaging Services Accreditation Scheme (ISAS)
CPA / ISO 15189
Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS)
Joint Advisory Group for Endoscopy (JAG Accreditation)
CQC published a consultation December 2016 setting out our ‘Next Phase’ approach to inspection. This included the proposal to separate diagnostic imaging from the core service of outpatients:
Outpatients will remain as a core service
We may inspect diagnostic imaging as an additional service, depending on the individual provider and on the level of risk.
We will reflect participation in diagnostic accreditation schemes in the provider well-led key question, as evidence of a commitment to quality improvement and assurance. The achievement of accreditation under a specific scheme would be reflected in the effective key question of the relevant core service.
Where possible, we will use accreditation under a diagnostic accreditation scheme to reduce or replace regulatory review. If a provider is not accredited under an appropriate scheme, we will consider this as a factor when deciding whether to include diagnostic imaging as an additional service in our inspection.
Imaging Services Accreditation Scheme (ISAS)
CPA / ISO 15189
Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS)
Strategy Slides - 24 May MASTER

5. CQC, the CSAA & HQIP
CQC had an ongoing relationship with the Clinical Services Accreditation Alliance (CSAA) as a key stakeholder and member of the project board. CQC endorse the multi professional approach of the CSAA, and the collaborative working with people who use services.
WS1 – The standards for assessing clinical accreditation schemes (so that CQC can be assured that the schemes themselves are of sufficient quality to use)
WS4 – Development of a generic set of standards for accreditation schemes. (CQC worked with the CSAA and BSI to which map these to our 5 key questions as part of their development. We know they have sufficient ‘breadth’.)
CQC support HQIP in becoming the home of professionally led, supportive clinical service accreditation and acknowledge their role in maintaining and promoting the outputs of the CSAA. Committed to ongoing joint working with HQIP and endorse them in their work in supporting clinicians and others to develop accreditation schemes.
Strategy Slides - 24 May MASTER

6. Policy Manager, Acute Policy Team
Thank you
@CareQualityComm
Claire Land,
Policy Manager, Acute Policy Team
Strategy Slides - 24 May MASTER