Watchdog warns NHS on safety for patients stuck on waiting lists

The Care Quality Commission’s new strategy pledges an ‘unremitting focus on safety’, reports Shaun Lintern

The CQC has said it will make it easier for patients to raise concerns about their care (PA)

Hospitals must prove patients are not being put at risk by lengthy delays to treatment as Covid-fuelled waiting lists now top 5 million, the care regulator has warned.

In an interview with The Independent, Ian Trenholm, chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, said while he appreciated the unprecedented pressure on NHS trusts due to the pandemic, they would not be “let off the hook” on safety.

He said hospitals would need to show they were managing waiting lists carefully, with concerns that some patients could deteriorate while waiting for surgery.