Report on patient safety calls for a national strategy for quality in social care

A new report by Dr Penny Dash on patient safety across the health and care landscape has called for a national strategy for quality in social care. The report also highlights the need to pay attention to quality in commissioning and promotes outcomes-based approaches. 

Dr Dash recognises the differences between health and social care; but suggests that work could build on existing quality standards by NICE, SCIE, the CQC etc. to:

• develop and agree a set of metrics to assess quality of care (outputs and outcomes rather than inputs)
• agree how to disseminate best practice
• ensure appropriate governance structures, systems and processes are in place across all providers

We await the Government's response to the Review.