The Daily Express reveal that neither the CQC or the DHSC are monitoring compliance to official Care Home Visiting Guidance
A Daily Express investigation led by Chief Reporter, Giles Sheldrick, has revealed that neither the CQC or the DHSC are monitoring care homes effectively. Their investigation produced evidence to show that government bodies have no idea how many care homes are complying with their own care home visiting guidance. Families were outraged to learn that even the most critical aspects of the guidelines aren’t being monitored, such as the nomination of essential visitors.
The reporter used Freedom of Information requests to ask the DHSC and the CQC how many requests for essential visitor status had been made, how many were granted and how many complaints were received from relatives who’s request had been refused. The DHSC confirmed they do not collect this data and was unable to say why. The CQC replied that collecting data on compliance to visiting guidance was either not within their remit or would be too costly an exercise.
In response to the revelations, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Harriet Harman again called on the government to take urgent action:
“they are not even investigating it properly let alone stepping in to stop it. And the Care Quality Commission, which is supposed to guarantee rights and standards does nothing except waffle … Visits are not just nice to have – they are essential. Banning them can mean its too late for a child to say goodbye to a parent . For the latter to be denied the comfort of their children’s presence in their final days is a breach of the right to a family life. It is cruel”
