The Care Quality Commission (CQC) was formed on 1st April 2009 and since that date has brought together independent regulation of health, mental health and adult social care. They are responsible for inspecting all health and adult social care service providers in England, whether they are provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies or voluntary organisations.

They ensure that essential common standards of quality are met everywhere care is provided, from hospitals to private care homes, and work towards improvement. They promote the rights and interests of people who use services and have a wide range of enforcement powers to take action.

From 1st April 2010 all health and adult social care providers were required by law to register with the CQC if they provide regulated activities. The new regulations are enshrined in law in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2009.

UHCW are currently registered with the CQC, without any conditions, at the following two locations:

University Hospital, Coventry
Hospital of St Cross, Rugby

The CQC continually monitor UHCW’s compliance with their “Essential Standards” to ensure that people who use services experience the expected “outcomes” of care, and the CQC take action where this is not achieved.

As part of their monitoring, the CQC can complete both planned and unannounced inspections to observe and inspect the quality of care.

**The CQC have completed the following inspections at UHCW:**
1)	November 2009	Unannounced Inspection, Hygiene Code
2)	March 2011	Unannounced Inspection, Dignity and Nutrition for Older People
3)	March 2011	Planned Review, Inspection of Safeguarding and Looked After Children's Services in Coventry
4)	November 2011	Planned Review, Inspection of Safeguarding and Looked After Children's Services in Warwickshire
5)	28 December 2011	Unannounced Inspection, Emergency Department – Staffing and Care / Welfare of People who use Services
6)	20 / 23 March 2012	Unannounced Inspection, Compliance with Medical Records completion - Abortion Act 1967
7)	26 June 2012	Unannounced Inspection, Hospital of St Cross, Orthopaedic and Older People
8)	7 January 2013	Unannounced inspection, University Hospital, In-patient Short Stay Areas

Further information about the Care Quality Commission can be obtained by clicking on the following link to their website:
http://www.cqc.org.uk/public

There is also a link to a section on the CQC website that relates specifically to UHCW: http://www.cqc.org.uk/directory/RKB

Service user information

The CQC have also published a series of leaflets, in different languages, for service users to find out more about the essential standards that they can expect from care services, and read real examples of how they are met. These leaflets can be accessed on the CQC website via this link.
http://www.cqc.org.uk/public/what-are-standards/government-standards

CQC contact details

Information on how the CQC can be contacted by the general public / service users, can be found here: http://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us