Working in partnership: Getting the best from inspection, audit ...

Appendix A continuedThe Government’s aim was set out in its response to the Bristol report,Learning from Bristol: the Department of Health’s response (2002) and the whitepaper, Delivering the NHS plan: next steps on investment, next steps on reform(2002). The next, and more tangible, stage in achieving a more rationalisedinspection regime was the Health and Social Care (Community Health andStandards) Act 2003.The 2003 Act and other measures have brought together functions of healthcareinspection that had been carried out by a number of bodies, including:• the former Commission for Health Improvement• the Audit Commission (national value for money studies)• the former National Care Standards Commission (independent healthcareregulation)• the Department of Health (performance ratings)The Healthcare Commission took over these functions when it was establishedin April 2004. It also has additional functions as described in the 2003 Act. TheHealthcare Commission will independently review, inspect and assess themanagement, provision and quality of healthcare and be a driving force forcontinuous improvement in public and private health services. Subject tolegislation, the Mental Health Act Commission’s independent oversight of theuse of compulsory powers would be transferred to the Healthcare Commission.The rationalisation of these bodies points to a transformation of healthcareinspection, providing for a more integrated and streamlined system of theregulation of health and social care services.Across the health and social care community there is an appetite for bettercoordination and cooperation to improve inspection and reduce overlappingburdens, allowing frontline staff to concentrate on delivering services. Whilethere is evidence of a shared desire to move in this direction, there has been aneed for one body to take the lead in coordinating this activity.Building on its statutory remit to coordinate reviews of healthcare, theHealthcare Commission will spearhead the move to more integratedarrangements for inspection. The Commission for Social Care Inspection hasbeen set up to provide similar leadership in social care, working closely withthe Healthcare Commission to synergise approaches to the inspection ofservices in health and social care.22 Concordat Getting the best from inspection, audit, review and regulation of health and social care May 2006