Healthcare inspections to be extended to include independent providers and apps

All healthcare organisations in England that offer regulated care are to be rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the first time under new government plans.

The Department of Health has announced that the CQC's current ratings programme, which covers hospital care, social care and GPs, is to be extended to encompass more than 800 additional providers, including independent doctors that offer primary care online.

This will allow new apps and digital healthcare services to be brought under the CQC's remit, with providers to be required to publicly display their rating, helping patients to make an informed choice about the care services they use.

It is intended that the new-look ratings scheme will be "future-proof" and able to cover services that may develop in the future, ensuring that these will also receive ratings that offer assurance of their quality and safety.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "These changes are a world first for patient safety, modernising our tough Ofsted-style inspection scheme so we keep pace with the changing landscape of healthcare."

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