Why Your Compliance Checks Drag On and How to Swiftly Fix Them

Regulatory compliance is a key aspect of any industry: the need to conform to the laws, policies and regulations of a particular sector ensures higher standards, better service and improved safety. 

The healthcare sector is no different. In fact, for good reason healthcare is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care services in England and carries out regular, comprehensive inspections to ensure that Fundamental Standards of quality and safety are being met. 

Although there has recently been a shift towards remote monitoring and data gathering , the CQC is slowly returning to routine inspections, working to ensure that standards are maintained in the face of the challenges presented by COVID-19.

Why is healthcare compliance so important?

Healthcare compliance isn’t only about meeting the standards laid out in relevant health and social care legislation and passing CQC inspections. It’s also about raising standards within the industry, ensuring that people are provided with high-quality care, meeting the needs of patients and staff and improving outcomes for both.

Compliance and HR practises

Compliance data in the health and social care sectors focuses not just on the patient journey, but also on HR practises, including hiring and onboarding new staff. When hiring health and social care staff, potential candidates are often subject to extensive checks, including:

• Right to work
• DBS
• Membership of GMC / NMC
• Qualifications
• References
• Membership of professional bodies/affiliations
• Training records (including whether relevant training is up-to-date)
  

To ensure regulatory compliance, providers need to be able to demonstrate during routine inspections that all relevant checks have taken place, and provide documentary (or digital) evidence. 

From data protection to recruitment, auditing, training and maintenance of records, there are numerous requirements associated with maintaining CQC compliance. For most health and social care providers - especially those which deal with increasing levels of staff; specialised compliance software is essential to help HR staff manage this challenging aspect of their role.

5 questions to ask yourself when reviewing compliance software

One of the most important aspects to consider when purchasing a compliance software package is what level of integration it offers with existing systems. 

Reputable platforms will usually be fully integrated with uCheck (a rapid screening service which includes Right to Work and advanced DBS checks). It’s also important to check for integration with the GMC and NMC registers.

There are several generic platforms available, many of which will offer some support with the management of day-to-day compliance issues. However, when selecting a compliance software solution it’s also important to consider the following:

1. Does it generate compliance reports which will satisfy CQC requirements?
2. Are there automated failsafe's in place to flag up applicants who have been struck off, or are under criminal investigation?
3. Does it facilitate sign-up for candidates?
4. Does it speed up the recruitment process?
5. Is the package affordable and will it lead to efficiency savings?
   

Recruiters, HR professionals, managers, clinical service providers and compliance officers in the health and social care sectors are aware of the stress involved in the process of inspection, compliance reporting and maintenance of standards. Automating processes and introducing compliance software which is closely integrated with existing systems can relieve the pressure on staff, improve efficiency, speed up processes and reduce human error.