We work with other organisations to make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.
We have agreements that set out:
- What we expect to achieve from working together
- How we will operate together and share information
- How we evaluate the success of our joint working.
The types of agreement are
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
- Joint Working Protocol (JWP)
- Information Sharing Agreement (ISA)
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
A statement of intent between two organisations to work together and outlining what this aims to achieve.
* Monitor / NHS Trust Development Authority: NHS Improvement formed 1 April 2016, bringing together Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority. NHS Improvement became part of NHS England in July 2022. The MoUs with these organisations still stand and will be reviewed.
MoUs signed since May 2019 (web pages)
MoUs signed before May 2019 (PDFs)
Joint Working Protocol (JWP)
Sets out detailed working arrangements to support an MoU, including what they can expect from each other, how work will be managed and commitments to consultations and involving others in the work. We do not have a joint working protocol with every organisation we work with – an MoU is often sufficient.
Current joint working protocols
Joint operational protocol with the General Medical Council (GMC)
Joint operational protocol between CQC and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
Joint operational protocol between CQC and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Joint operational protocol: Regulation of Dental Services Programme Board
Joint operational protocol: when a hospital, services or facility closes at short notice
Statement of intent between CQC, GMC and NHS England: General practice forward view.
We also have a framework agreement with the Department of Health.
Department of Health and Social Care Framework Agreement
Work-related deaths protocol:
Work-related deaths: A protocol for liaison (England and Wales)
Work-related deaths protocol: Practical guide (England and Wales)
Information sharing agreement (ISA)
Sets out what information will be shared, how, when and with who. ISAs are created when we need to share sensitive data with other organisations and detail any necessary security requirements.
Current ISAs
- Dr Foster
- General Dental Council
- General Medical Council
- Good Care Guide
- Health and Safety Executive
- Health and Social Care Information Centre
- Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS)
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
- MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK)
- Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
- Monitor
- Most Recommended Care
- National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH)
- NHS Dental Service (NHS Business Services Authority)
- NHS England
- NHS Improvement
- NHS Protect
- Public Health England
- Office of National Statistics
- Patient Opinion
- Skills for Care
Chief Executives Health and Social Care Regulatory Forum
This meets to foster closer and more effective working between regulators.
Forum members
- Care Quality Commission (current chair and secretariat)
- General Dental Council
- General Medical Council
- General Optical Council
- General Osteopathic Council
- General Pharmaceutical Council
- Health and Care Professions Council
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
- NHS England and NHS Improvement
- Nursing and Midwifery Council
- Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman
- Professional Standards Authority
- Social Work England
The Department of Health and Social care are in attendance.