Website of the Department of Health

This consultation seeks views on: which health and adult social care services should require registration with the Care Quality Commission; and what the requirements for registration should be. Without registering with the Care Quality Commission, it will be illegal for health and adult social care organisations to provide services that come within the scope of registration. The registration requirements will therefore cover essential levels of safety and quality. The scope and requirements for registration will be set in secondary legislation, following a further consultation on regulations later in the year.

The consultation also seeks views on when providers of regulated services should be required to have a registered manager, and how primary care services should be included in the new registration system. The document
sets out plans for transition to the new registration system: the new registration system will come into force from April 2010 with the exception of regulations on healthcare associated infections, which will come into force during 2009/10.

Once established the new Commission will develop and consult on its methodology and criteria for assessing compliance with the requirements. The new registration system will come into force from April 2010 with the exception of regulations on HCAI, which will come into force during 2009.

The publication will be of interest to anyone working in health and adult social care and to patients and service users who are interested in how the reforms are going to improve the services they use.