The CQC is currently consulting on a new approach to inspecting healthcare services in prisons, youth offender institutions and immigration removal centres 

Over the last ten days I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy meeting and listening to many of you that took part in the Best Practice Conference (in partnership with the National Association of Primary Care), the Dispensing Doctors’ Association Annual Conference and at a local meeting of the Birmingham CCGs.

It’s so important to share what we’re doing with all of you, but also to listen to feedback, especially about our new approach, which is in full swing, and a month into operation. Thank you for those of you who shared your feedback, which continued to reiterate the professionalism of our approach and inspection teams.

Our new approach to inspections of healthcare in secure settings is outlined in a new signposting document.

Healthcare services in prisons, youth offender institutions (YOI) and immigration removal centres (IRCs) will all be subject to our new style of regulation from next year and the public have been invited to give their views on the new model.

People who use services in secure settings are generally in a more vulnerable situation because they rely on authorities for their safety, care and wellbeing, and they are unable to choose their care. It is our responsibility to ensure that detainees are safeguarded against ill treatment and receive the same quality of care as the rest of the population.

This signposting statement highlights some of the questions that we need to consider over the coming months in order to build an inspection framework that not only works for this sector, but also complements the progress we are making in other sectors.

You can find the signposting document on the CQC website.

Further consultation on plans to inspect these settings will run from January 2015.

Finally…

It wouldn’t be a blog without another mythbuster from Senior National GP Advisor Nigel Sparrow. This week he focuses on the use of chaperones in practices. You can find the mythbuster on our website here. If you have any other ideas for myths you’d like Nigel to cover, contact [email protected].