Selznick’s (1985) definition of regulation is much cited and provides as good a description as any: “the sustained and focused control exercised by a public agency over activities which are valued by a community”.
The independent scrutiny of healthcare is a form of ‘public interest’ regulation founded in legislation, and is undertaken by a number of agencies across the UK. We pride ourselves at Healthcare Regulation UK of having a thorough understanding of healthcare regulatory law and the various regulations, standards, guidance and methodologies operated by each of the UK regulators. Consequently, we can provide expert help and assistance with any policy, procedural or practise related enquiry concerning regulation. Our business support team constantly reviews developments in regulatory law and evaluates the impact of changes upon the healthcare sector. This ensures that our business offer remains up to date and reflects best practice.
Regulatory Bodies
The following links will take you to the websites of the relevant bodies for England and the devolved nations, and these contain a wealth of information about their respective duties, powers and provider guidance.
England
Care Quality Commission
(CQC) https://www.cqc.org.uk
NHS Improvement (NHSI)
https://improvement.nhs.uk
Scotland
Care Inspectorate
http://www.careinspectorate.com
Healthcare Improvement Scotland
http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org
Wales
Care Inspectorate Wales
https://careinspectorate.wales
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales
(HIW) http://hiw.org.uk
Northern Ireland
The Regulation and Quality
Improvement Authority (RQIA)
https://www.rqia.org.uk
Republic of Ireland
Health Information & Quality Authority
https://www.hiqa.ie