The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has partnered with Microsoft to deploy Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service and a Microsoft Azure data platform.
By introducing the data platform CQC aims to “enable the CQC team to focus on driving improvements for the providers it assesses” and help the organisation become more agile. An example comes from its production of insight reports, such as infection prevention control reports available on the CQC website, which CQC said is a lengthy process. Now it hopes that the production will be quicker and teams will be positioned to be able to respond to incidents or issues faster.
Mark Sutton, Chief Digital Officer, CQC, explained: “As an organisation, we have an ambitious strategy to transform the way we regulate… we want to become a smarter regulator with technology, data and insights at the core of how we work.”
Keith Mahon, Hospitals Inspector for CQC, added: “It allows us to scale down the number of different tools that we’re using in isolation and bring them together in one place.
“So we’re freed up from some of the complex and time-consuming administration that we’ve been doing. We’re now able to spend more time with providers, helping them to improve. We’ll also be able to use our data and insight to focus on specific areas, which will be reflected in up-to-date ratings for the public.”
Earlier in the year HTN reported on CQC’s revised plan for transformation and tackling health inequalities. The organisation stated an aim to introduce a new regulatory approach for health and care providers, local authorities and integrated care systems; to establish new regulatory leadership shaping priorities; to change how operational teams are structured; and to deliver a new and improved provider portal.
When it comes to digital, the plan states that from spring CQC will focus on “making sure the technology we need is in place and that we’re able to test it with providers” and aim to be confident that their new regulatory approach is ready to launch. Alongside this, the new Regulatory Leadership team will be setting out priorities across the sectors, and CQC plan to “understand more about what is happening locally when [they] start looking at how care is provided at a system level.”
In summer, CQC aim to launch a new online provider portal. This will be completed in stages with support and guidance provided. In the first stage, providers will be able to submit statutory notifications and CQC will improve how their enforcement process works.
