Care Quality Commission review

Epilepsy Action is calling for a ‘special review’ of long-term neurological conditions by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Each year the CQC conducts a certain number of special reviews. A special review would look at the health and social services for people in England with long-term neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.  The review would judge and score them in each part of the country. These results would be available for the public to see.

We think a special review is very important, as it would show where services are poor and would provide recommendations to address their problems.

Long-term neurological conditions are shortlisted for a review. But we are asking people with epilepsy to get behind us and ask the CQC to make sure this review goes ahead.

To help us, if you live in England, please send an email or a letter to the CQC.

The email address is assessmentconsult@cqc.org.uk

The postal address is;

Assessment Consultation
Care Quality Commission
103-105 Bunhill Row
FREEPOST Lon 15399
London
EC1B 1QW

This is a Freepost address and so does not require a stamp.

If you are unsure what to say in your email or letter, we have prepared a template letter which you can copy from.

Dear Care Quality Commission,

I am writing to support the case for a Care Quality Commission Special Review into long-term neurological conditions.

It is already widely accepted that long-term neurological conditions deserve greater attention and investment, including by the Health Minister responsible.

Any improvement has the potential to be very beneficial for the eight million people in the UK with a long-term neurological condition, half a million of whom have epilepsy.

There are an increasing number of people with long-term neurological conditions, and increasing costs as treatments advance. It is in all of our interests, patients providers and taxpayers, that efficient and effective services exists.

I hope a CQC review would allow assessors to see the different and unequal range of services available to people with long-term neurological conditions throughout the country.

Although much has been said about poor health and social services for people with long-term neurological conditions, little action has been taken to change this. I believe there are still certain parts of the country where no epilepsy specialists are employed. A CQC Special Review has the potential to effect serious change.

365,000 people in England are diagnosed with epilepsy. Uncontrolled epilepsy can be extremely serious, and in the worst cases, fatal.

Although this is a ‘special review’, we are not asking for any special treatment. We are asking for the standard of service to be brought up to the same level experienced by other people with similar debilitating and life-threatening conditions.

Yours sincerely,
 

The CQC will start to discuss topics for special review after the closing date of April 27. We hope by then they will already know how important a special review would be for people with long-term neurological conditions.