Report criticises health and care regulator over inspections and inconsistency.

An interim report by the public care doctor, Penny Dash, has found the CQC is plagued by low levels of physical inspections, a lack of consistency in assessments and problems with a faltering IT system.

In her report, Ms Dash said that she found that about a fifth of the locations the CQC had the power to inspect had never received a rating, while other organisations had not been reinspected for years. One inspection was about a decade old.

The report said that there was a lack of experience amongst inspectors, some of whom checked hospitals despite never having visited one before. Another inspector of a care home had never met a person with dementia.

Ms Dash, who began her investigation in May, also found that social care providers were waiting too long for their registration and rating to be updated, with implications for local capacity.

Health officials said the watchdog’s failings meant it was unable to consistently judge the quality of health and care services, including those in need of urgent improvement.

The CQC apologised after care organisations complained of a “hostile” inspection regime and a major new computer system failing to work properly.

Its former chief executive, Ian Trenholm, resigned midway through the implementation of changes that were supposed to improve assessments. Meanwhile, Prof Sir Mike Richards, a senior oncologist, who was appointed the CQC’s first chief inspector of hospitals in 2013, has been asked to overhaul the inspection and assessment system.

The government wants to increase the transparency with which the CQC determines its ratings for health and social care providers, to rapidly improve operational performance, and to increase oversight. The body will be expected to give regular updates on its progress to the department.

Dash, who spoke to hundreds of senior managers, caregivers and clinicians across the sector, has also been asked to review the effectiveness of all patient safety organisations.

The CQC regulates close to 15,000 care homes, 13,000 home care agencies, 11,500 dentists, 8,600 GPs and 1,200 hospitals as well as community services and supported living facilities.

Chief executive of Care England, Prof Martin Green, said: “This report acknowledges the severe and systemic problems that sit at the very heart of the CQC and gives a specific set of steps that the regulator must take to improve performance and re-establish the sector’s long-eroded trust. This is going to be a long and difficult journey for the CQC, but one that is entirely necessary.”

Chief executive of NHS Providers, Sir Julian Hartley, said: “Trust leaders will welcome this announcement. Based on their clear and consistent feedback, we have been calling for urgent reform of the CQC. We fully agree with these recommendations.”

The National Care Association, which represents independent care home operators, in February publicly warned that “the culture in CQC remains hostile at the ground level” and was forcing providers to consider closing.

NCA chair, Nadra Ahmed, said: “For some time now, the CQC has not been responsive to the challenges that the sector has faced because of poor inspection methodology. Many providers have found the process very challenging, intimidating, and staff have been left in tears.”