‘… a team of specialist health and social care lawyers, providing dedicated legal advice for care homes, GP practices, children’s homes, dental practices, domiciliary and home care agencies, supported and independent living services and both private and NHS hospitals.’
And, they know their stuff;
‘There is no textbook way of operating a care business so you need solicitors that don’t just know the regulations, but how to interpret them, in the context of multi-faceted pressures, conflicting stakeholder input and what the day job looks like for you…’
Too true.
They publish regular opinion pieces, in a free, news-letter (subscribe here), on what’s-what in our world. A partner wraps some advice or commentary in the news of the day.
‘… [we]… have observed that the CQC have intensified the aggressive presentation of inspections and inspection reports over recent months.
This is particularly noticeable in [their] attitude to primary care and GP practice interactions.’
I did a double take. Two reasons.
First; it is very unusual for a lawyer to be so blunt and critical about one of the institutions of the NHS. Party because they’re always looking for work and the NHS spends a lot of money on lawyers.
Second, it’s as though Paul Ridout has taken a peep into my inbox. He’s right. They have become more aggressive, some say to me… noxious.
The CQC have never been popular, it comes with the territory. In my view, neither have they been efficient.
… charabancs full of people turning up to inspect, trampling through Trusts.
... hotel bills enough to run the health system for a small country.
… recruiting the wrong people and not being able to get rid of them.
… closing care homes, late on a Friday night and turfing old people onto the street.
It takes a special kind of mindset to do that and call it a career.
As the Duchess used to say;
'Them as can, do. Them as can’t, inspect them as do.'
Ridout gets stuck in;
‘… most unfortunately many of those engaged in front line inspection lack any medical qualification or experience, and, when that qualification and experience is held, it is rarely by practitioners with up to date current practice experience.’
Ouch, ouch, ouch!
Inspection is futile;
Turn up, inspect and it’s good... you’ve wasted your time.
Turn up and it’s bad… it’s too late. The damage is done.
The father of modern management-guru-ism, Edwards Demming, in his seminal 14 Points of Management, makes the point;
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection … by building quality into the product in the first place.
Ok, we don’t have ‘products’ but substitute the word ‘services’ and it still makes sense.
Inspection has been all-but abandoned in the real world. But, the NHS blunders on.
Ridout, again;
‘… regulation will always be behind on thoughts and mind-sets rooted in established practices rather than new developments.’
He is right.
We should abandon inspection altogether. Get smart. The NHS is awash with data. Most of it never sees the light of day. What do we do with it?
It would appear, not a lot.
Last month, there were 83 NHS Data Analyst jobs advertised.
In 2019, TecNation say; of the total NHS jobs on offer only 1.6% were digital, data and technology roles, compared to a UK average of 17%.
We should harness our data. Use it to forecast when something is likely to go wrong, flag it up and nip it in the bud. Send helpers not inspectors.
Back to Ridout;
’… this regulator is focused on closed culture self-defence rather than a forward thinking and reflective approach to new challenges.’
He lists five ‘serious failings’ which are 'regular features of CQC draft and finalised reports, treated as incontrovertible by the CQC'.
Many of you have told me for ages; institutional arrogance, insularity, lack of balance, poor skills…
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