Research suggests many UK advice businesses remain uncertain about the significance of CQC registration as employers and insurers look to plug gaps in cancer care provision.
Just 38% of UK adviser firms say they understand what Care Quality Commission registration means when it comes to added value service providers delivering clinically approved support for patients, according to new research conducted on behalf of Reframe Cancer.
The survey of 29 UK adviser firms found that 41% did not know what CQC registration meant in relation to third party or added value providers being able to offer clinically approved support, while a further 21% said they were unsure.
The findings come in the wake of last week’s delivery of the NHS National Cancer Plan, which has placed renewed focus on the quality and oversight of cancer care across the UK.
As the NHS and government seek to implement new targets and expand screening, employers and insurers are expected to play a supporting role in helping individuals secure earlier diagnosis and faster access to care.
CQC registered cancer care providers are monitored, inspected and regulated by the Care Quality Commission. Providers must meet defined clinical and legal standards and are subject to regular inspections, with the regulator able to intervene where standards fall short.
Not all cancer care providers in the UK have undertaken the CQC assessment process required to achieve registration.
Mark Stephenson, chief executive at Reframe Cancer, said: “It’s positive news that one in three UK adviser firms understand the importance of third party service providers being CQC registered.
“There is a clear limit to what can be achieved without clinically approved providers being regulated by the CQC and held to the highest standards, and it could impact the quality of care a client receives.
“In cancer care, delays cost lives, so if any nursing support or clinical expertise is outsourced that can take time, and with cancer every day counts.
“Crucially NHS and private treatment teams are more open to dialogue and engagement with CQC regulated businesses as they know they can discuss clinical matters.
“Additionally privacy and data collection are held to the highest standard, and teams are fully clinically trained so able to follow all recommended processes.
“It’s also vital that advisers understand the importance of CQC registration as it has probably never been more important given last week’s announcement of the National Cancer Plan by the NHS and UK government.
“Whilst the plan is a positive step forward, many of the targets and actions will take too long to implement.
“This means that when it comes to prevention and early detection, employers and insurers will have to step up and fill this void for some time to come.”
CREDIBILITY
Joanna Streames, mortgage and protection adviser at Velvet Mortgage & Insure Services, added: “CQC registration gives credibility to the wellbeing services being offered.
“More importantly it makes policyholders aware of what they have included in the first place, so they remember to contact us when it might be useful to use the services they have access to.”
The research points to a potential knowledge gap among adviser firms at a time when added value services are increasingly used to differentiate protection propositions.
With pressure on public health services set to continue, the regulatory status of third party clinical providers may become a more prominent consideration in adviser due diligence and client conversations.
