Recommendation 19

The regulatory model for homecare is failing to ensure the safety and quality of patient care. The regulators appear to have a limited understanding of the sector and there appears to be no appetite to find more information. Enforcement action taken against providers, even where avoidable harm has taken place, is feeble. There appears to be no appetite to issue penalties against non-compliant homecare providers. Poor performance can go unchecked. We note the discrepancy between the approach the CQC takes towards small residential homes and that taken towards homecare medicines providers.