HM IHAS News

There was a 13.5% increase in independent providers (hospital, community and mental health/learning disability and substance misuse) between 31 March and 31 December 2012. By 31 December 2012, 1,393 independent providers were registered with CQC (an increase of 166). In terms of registered locations, there was an increase of 246 locations in the same period, bringing the number to 3,010 locations (an increase of 8.9%). The specific increase in independent hospital services provision was 8.2%.

This is the 13th year of ISCAS, originally formed in response to a report by the Health Select Committee, and developed on best practice with external adjudication by an independent body which enables both complainants and healthcare providers (ISCAS members) to find closure of otherwise intractable complaints.

Sir Keith Pearson, chair of the Revalidation Implementation Advisery Board, has a strong message for providers’ management boards throughout the UK – medical revalidation is your business’. He wants on every Board agenda a report from the responsible officer setting out progress towards the 100% medical revalidation target. Revalidation implementation is still in its early months and one needs to be cautious about drawing conclusions about its progress. In England 20,379 recommendations were received to the GMC by 8 September 2013 from a total for the cycle of 230,999 doctors - a rate of 8.8% of numbers of doctors to be revalidated.

This month Baroness Ritchie of Brompton, Chair of the Treatments You Can Trust Governance Group hosted a Parliamentary reception to promote the organisation, which has been set up to develop a register of approved cosmetic injectable providers.

Sally Taber examines the issues surrounding bariatric surgery and patient safety

Medical revalidation, the process by which doctors throughout the UK who want to retain their licence to practise in the UK will need to demonstrate they are up to date and fit to practise is expected to roll-out late 2012. Doctors need to ensure that they find out who their Responsible Officer (RO), participate in annual appraisal and familiarise themselves with the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice Framework and Supporting information guidance.

Regulation in cosmetic interventions had fallen behind the times, and Sir Bruce’s review was well overdue. Fast remedies are necessary for patient safety and for the continued probity of some healthcare professions. IHAS Members have for some years developed and instituted voluntary standards and practices that closely accord with those instigated by the review.

IHAS director Sally Taber outlines the appraisals procedure for GPs

The Department of Health (DH) has bowed to pressure from Independent Healthcare Advisory Services to include the independent sector in its healthcare workforce agenda.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) first quarterly report shows that 82% of all independent acute and mental health providers are meeting all the CQC’s essential standards.