CQC (Care Quality Commission)

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator responsible for ensuring health and social care providers in England deliver safe, effective, compassionate, and high-quality care. It inspects hospitals, care homes, clinics, and community services, assessing their standards against national guidelines. The CQC rates services as outstanding, good, requires improvement, or inadequate, and can take action when standards are not met. Its role is to protect patients and service users by promoting accountability and continuous improvement within the care sector.