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CQC

Care Quality Commission

The CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England.

Updated 12 October 2026 (1 minute read)

Summary

  • It registers and inspects hospitals, GP practices, care homes, dentists and ambulance services.
  • It rates each service as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.
  • It can issue warnings, restrict what a service does or close it.
  • It regulates organisations. Individual doctors are regulated separately.

Interview questions

  • What does the CQC do?
  • A hospital is rated inadequate. What should happen next?
  • Do inspections improve care?

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Cases that turn on it

Edenfield Centre abuse scandal Autonomy The Edenfield Centre is a secure mental health unit in Manchester whose patients are not free to leave. In 2022 a reporter working there undercover filmed staff mocking and mistreating them.

More NHS hot topics, medical ethics case studies and medical school interview questions are in AlphaMED Resources, which we add to and update through the application cycle.