Coronavirus prompts care watchdog to stop all routine inspections

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has stopped all routine inspections of care homes, home care providers and other care settings in England from today (16 March), in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

In a letter sent to care providers, the CQC said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, its top priority is to "support you to keep people safe during a period of unprecedented pressure on the health and care system".

Ian Trenholm, chief executive of the CQC, which independently regulates health and social care in England, said: “During this period, our priority will be to support those who deliver health and social care to keep people safe during this global health emergency.”

"Please notify CQC within 24 hours of any suspected or known case or outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19. This means one or more cases involving staff, people who use services, volunteers, visiting professionals, visitors or visiting contractors/suppliers that people within the service have had contact with."

Inspections only where 'there is clear evidence of harm'

However, the chief executive warned care providers “it may still be necessary to use our inspection powers in a very small number of cases when there is clear evidence of harm, such as allegations of abuse.

"When physical inspections are deemed appropriate, we anticipate having a conversation with the provider before a visit takes place."

Mr Trenholm said: "In adult social care, our inspectors will also be acting as a support for registered managers, providing advice and guidance throughout this period in the absence of a single national body equivalent to NHS England.

“We are talking to social care providers about how to most effectively collect information from them to ensure that the Government has a clear picture of the impact that COVID-19 is having on the sector."

He told care providers, the CQC will continue to request Provider Information Returns (PIRs). "We will use the information gathered from PIRs to inform and influence government and commissioners to provide support and address issues such as workforce challenges."

Mr Trenholm also said CQC staff will help any other part of the national effort whether that be in the public or private sector. The CQC will send clinically-qualified CQC special advisors to the frontline to help with the national response to the pandemic and secondments of staff to DHSC, Public Health England and NHS England.

The chief executive said the CQC’s customer contact centre will start taking non-clinical COVID-19 calls from next week to support 111.