"Lack of Independence of Checking For Safety and Fitness For Purpose"
The NHS is run on behalf of the taxpayer by Parliament and the Department of Health, at the head of which is the Secretary of State for Health.
The group charged in England and Wales with checking if the care delivered by the NHS is genuinely safe and fit for purpose is the Care Quality Commission, or CQC. Although the CQC describes itself as the "independent regulator of all health and social care services in England", it is in fact "accountable to the public, Parliament and the Secretary of State for Health." and much of its funding comes from the taxpayer. At least one chairman, one chief executive and a board member of the CQC have been singled out for attention by a UK Secretary of State for Health.
There is therefore the potential for a conflict of interest, as both the NHS and the CQC have the same leadership and both are highly susceptible to political interference.
Read more about this topic: Criticism Of The National Health Service
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