The Care Quality Commission

The new Care Quality Commission 

The Care Quality Commission has had an overhaul. The current head, David Prior, is a former Conservative party deputy chairman. One of the members is a "whistle blower" on the CQC itself, threatened with the sack but tenure extended by the Conservative SOS for Health at the request of David Prior. Another is a member of the public who campaigned for an inquiry into his local hospital, again also granted by the SoS for Health, Jeremy Hunt. The "independent" CQC has weekly meetings with Jeremy Hunt. A recent inspection of GP practices resulted in highly misleading media reports of "maggots" in two practices. David Prior spoke of "millions" let down by the NHS.

Is the new CQC better than the old CQC? Is it simply mistaking being scathing for being rigorous and objective? Are there too many people with grudges in the CQC? Are there too many people with links to the Conservative party? Is the CQC now the cats paw of the DoH?

Employing whistle blowers sounds great in theory, but the problem comes with determining who is a genuine whistle blower.  Even if you can, the trials and tribulations of being a whistle blower may mean that person does not make a good regulator.