More than a third of care homes not inspected since 2021
More than a third of care homes in the North East have not been inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) since 2021, it has been revealed.
Independent inspection firm CIUK said 242 of the area’s 688 care homes (35%) had not had a CQC inspection in the last five years.
The CQC acknowledged it needed to increase its assessment rate but said it responded as quickly as possible when intelligence was received from relatives, tipsters and councils.
CIUK chief executive Dr Kevin Groombridge described the backlog as a “serious concern”, with the “vast majority” of care providers working “incredibly hard”, but this did not negate the need for appropriate “oversight, audit and accountability”.
Nationally, more than 5,400 of the 13,475 care homes registered in the UK in early 2026 had not seen a full investigation from the health watchdog since 2021.
Revealing the figures, Groombridge said: “How can families be sure their loved ones are getting the care they deserve if inspections are not carried out regularly?
“The vast majority of adult social care providers and their staff work incredibly hard to deliver high quality care, but this does not negate the need for appropriate oversight, control and accountability.”
CQC said: Local Democracy Reporting Service It said it constantly monitors all information it holds on a service and receives intelligence from a variety of sources, including local councils, security teams, relatives and tipsters.
The CQC also said it aims to respond as quickly as possible when it receives any information that raises concern.
public trust
Chris Badger, CQC chief inspector of adult social care, said: “We know we need to increase our rating rate to ensure we keep providers up to date with their ratings and give the public confidence in the quality of care.”
Badger, an independent review of the editor not fit for purpose In 2024, the organization worked hard to help people receive high levels of care and support provider recovery.
This includes making a clear commitment to increase the number of evaluations we conduct, Badger said.
Badger added that the agency was on track to meet assessment targets agreed with the Department of Health and Social Care.
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