From the beginning of 2014, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been using a new approach to inspect NHS out-of-hours services, and Alex Cunningham is encouraging residents across the Stockton Borough to provide their feedback to give as accurate a picture as possible.
The CQC intends to inspect 27 out-of-hours providers in the first three months of 2014, and all GP providers of NHS out-of-hours services by June 2014. While local services do not appear to be scheduled for official inspection in the first wave of visits, Stockton North’s MP is also keen for service users to share their views to help inform his own understanding.
The inspectors will examine how well services respond to the needs of patients, as well as considering the quality of communication between out-of-hours care and other local services, including GP practices, care homes and emergency services. Alex is eager to hear the experiences of those that have used out-of-hours services in the past 12 months, whether they are positive or negative.
Alex said:
“I welcome the efforts of the CQC to make better use of people’s views and experiences, including suggestions and complaints, when assessing out-of-hours services and encourage everyone who has used the these services to provide feedback to the inspectors.
“However, I am also eager to build up a more detailed understanding of the shape of services across the Stockton Borough to better inform my own knowledge of the successes and failures local people are encountering with out-of-hours services. I would therefore welcome hearing the views of service users across the Stockton Borough relating to their own experiences, good or bad.”
