CQC launches new digital services

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has launched new digital services to enable greater transparency around health and social care provision.

The services include: an email alert option; a CQC widget and extra historical information on an area’s health and social care facilities.  

Subscribers to the email alert service will receive up to date reports on care operators and can tailor which reports they receive based on the type of healthcare service and location.

The widget will allow easy access to the CQC’s latest reports as well. Providers regulated by the organisation will be able to embed a summary of their inspection results on their websites with a link to the full report on the CQC website, via this widget.

770 organisations now use the widget after its soft launch on 8 October 2012, including directory websites such as Goodcareguide.co.uk and Comparecarehomes.com.

Visitors to the CQC website will now also be able to access inspection reports on providers and locations that are no longer registered with the CQC, allowing them to find out more about the history of health and social care provision in an area. More than 8000 location profiles and 2500 inspection reports will become available again.

CQC chair Dame Jo Williams said: “These new digital services are an important step in making it as easy as possible for people to find the information they want. They bring valuable CQC information about the quality of services to a wider audience, helping individuals make informed choices about care.”