Registration support for providers of dental services

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is extending its national contact centre’s opening hours and publishing new guidance on registration to help support primary dental providers preparing to apply for registration under new legislation.

The Newcastle-based centre will now open from 8.30am to 8pm Monday to Thursday, from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Friday and from 8am to 4pm on Saturdays.
CQC has also issued new guidance for the providers of primary dental services, which is available on its website or in hard copy from the national contact centre (NCC) on 03000 616161.

The new guidance provides more information on the application process, which has been refined following a series of pilot projects. CQC is expecting applications
from more than 8,500 providers.

Providers of dental services will soon start applying for registration with CQC with all providers to be registered from 1 April 2011.

Providers only need to apply for registration once. Due to an expected large amount of applications, providers will be put into groups with each group given an application window within which to apply. Services will be registered against the new essential standards of quality and safety that apply across the care sector.
The new system focuses on outcomes, the experiences CQC expects people to have, rather than on policies and processes. The aim of registration is that people can expect services to meet essential standards of quality, to protect their safety and to respect their dignity and rights wherever care is provided, wherever they live.
CQC director, Linda Hutchinson, said: ‘‘We appreciate that this type of regulation is very new to the dental sector and that people will have a lot of questions. We publish regular updates on our website, but we know that some people would prefer to talk things through over the phone. We want to make sure that our helpline is available to answer questions at times that are convenient to dentists, taking their working hours into consideration.

Dr Hutchinson added: ‘We’re also working closely with the General Dental Council to avoid any overlap in our actions and to minimise any potential regulatory burden for providers. Ultimately, our objective is to protect service users and to encourage improvement in the care people receive.’

For further information on the registration process, providers can sign up to CQC’s monthly e-update for health and social care professionals at www.cqc.org.uk/newsandevents/newsletter.cfm and join CQC’s provider reference group, an online community offering the opportunity to engage with our work through a variety of methods including surveys, discussion forms and polls. You can sign up by emailing cqc@nunwood.com.

We will be writing to providers to advise what will happen next and about further action that needs to be taken. For more information go to:
#
or email:enquiries@cqc.org.uk.

New leaflet on standards you can expect from NHS hospitals

A new leaflet for the general public, 'What standards to expect from the regulation of your NHS hospital' - the first in a series of communications intended for people who use services and the public at large - is now published and is being distributed this week.

We have updated our website under 'Using Care Services' and we will be sending a short news update pointing people to the website to our communciations contacts at LINKs, PALS offices, local councils and voluntary organisations over the coming days.

http://www.cqc.org.uk/usingcareservices/nhshospital.cfm

Acting together service

We are looking for experienced organisations to recruit, train and support our network of carers and people who use services, known as Experts by experience:

http://www.cqc.org.uk/aboutcqc/howwedoit/involvingpeoplewhouseservices/socialcareinspections/expertsbyexperience.cfm

Organisations will work with people in Experts by experience throughout a range of
activities, including:

• consultations
• events
• methodology and guidance
• reviews and studies
• site visits to adult social care providers and mental health services
• collecting views from various communities

A strong focus on equality, diversity and human rights, and proof of effective partnerships with local, regional and national organisations is vital.
The closing date is 23 September.

• Download the expression of interest: http://www.cqc.org.uk/publications.cfm?fde_id=16014

Report shows improvement in safe management of controlled drugs

We have today published a report showing the continued improvement of health and social care organisations in their management of controlled drugs.
Our annual report for 2009 is the third of its kind and details the progress made in implementing regulations brought in following the Shipman Inquiry.
As part of our regulatory work, we were asked to report to government annually on how safer management arrangements are working following the case of Dr Harold Shipman.
The report covers the monitoring of controlled drugs including opioids such as morphine, sleeping tablets, anabolic steroids and growth hormones.
The key recommendations made in the report are that:
• The safe management of controlled drugs should remain a high priority for organisations.
• The Royal Colleges should develop guidance on the appropriate use of opioids and amphetamines for all sectors.
• The Department of Health should revisit requisition regulations and guidance to better capture data in line with the original policy intent.

• Read our full press release on the release of the report
http://www.cqc.org.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases.cfm?cit_id=36526&FAArea1=customWidgets.content_view_1&usecache=false
• Find out more about our work with controlled drugs and download the full report http://www.cqc.org.uk/guidanceforallhealthcarestaff/managingrisk/controlleddrugs/ourrole.cfm