Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Who regulates the regulator?

Who do you go to if the CQC rule changes have a detrimental impact on someones care? Presumably CQC itself.

For details see previous post, but generally, we had a good package of care that gave my son as normal a life as possible. Following the changed CQC registration regulations, our care provider would now be acting illegally if it allowed its nurses to look after him outside the designated nursing home location - so if he comes home, goes into hospital (both of which he does a lot), goes on holiday etc. etc. - he can't have any care. This is a major step backwards from a person centred plan and puts him at risk at home (as we need to sleep from time to time) and in hospital (as there aren't enough nurses on wards to 'special' him).

The only option we seem to have left is for us to take part of his budget ourselves and employ the nurses ourselves (because we aren't regulated! - is this daft or is it just me?). We don't know if the commissioners will wear this, or if the nurses will be willing to work directly for us, but it looks like we're going to have to find out. Meanwhile, no nursing care outside base, lots of risk if he gets ill or they can't cover a shift and mountains of work for us on top of his care when at home.

I know the provider could in theory register as a nursing agency but as a small charity it would go broke in the process of trying to fulfill all the requirements. The provider is on our side but shackled. If we let it go, he will be at risk and the service will collapse next time he's ill. We will be seeing the commissioner soon and I'll be writing to CQC myself when I've calmed down a bit.

This does not improve his care. We're at best not going to let it get any worse. The lack of flexibility and understanding of the real world at CQC is staggering. This was an 'excellent' rated service that will now be damaged by the very people who rated it 'excellent'.

Tick boxes rule, OK!
Not if I have anything to do with it.
Before I was cross, now I'm angry - and even I don't like me when I'm angry.

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