CQC Announces Aims for 2026 – HLTH Compliance Response
The Care Quality Commission has published its end of year reflections and outlined its ambitions for 2026, led by its four Chief Inspectors across hospitals, adult social care, primary and community services, and mental health.
At HLTH Compliance, we welcome the renewed focus on clarity, consistency, inspection volume, and collaboration. These themes closely reflect what providers across health and social care have been raising throughout 2025.
Below, we set out what CQC’s stated priorities for 2026 mean for providers, using the Chief Inspectors’ own words within the narrative.
A clear signal – regulation is accelerating again
One of the most significant messages from CQC is the intent to rebuild regulatory momentum following a prolonged period of reduced inspection activity. CQC states that “throughout 2025 we have been working to rebuild CQC to get us back to our purpose of providing effective regulation of health and adult social care services.”
This intent is particularly clear within adult social care, where Chris Badger, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care, confirms that his “immediate task… was very clear – to increase the number of inspections that CQC carries out in adult social care,” noting that “so far in 2025/26 we have completed more inspections than in the whole of the previous year.”
Sector specific frameworks – welcome but demanding
CQC has acknowledged feedback from providers calling for clearer, more consistent, and sector specific approaches. The regulator notes that while there is support for its proposals, providers want “clarity, consistency, and collaboration, delivered through frameworks that are specific to each sector.”
This signals a move away from broad, generic assessment and towards more tailored regulatory expectations, requiring providers to demonstrate how quality, safety, and leadership operate in practice within their service type.
Adult social care – inspection volume and local authority scrutiny
Alongside increasing inspection activity, CQC has also progressed its assessment of local authorities under the Care Act. Chris Badger confirms that CQC has “nearly completed all initial assessments of how the 153 local authorities in England with social care responsibilities are meeting their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act (2014),” with findings and ratings to be published in spring.
This reinforces the growing alignment between commissioner oversight and regulatory judgement for adult social care providers.
Primary and community care – access, equity, and consistency
For primary and community services, Professor Bola Owolabi CBE, Chief Inspector of Primary Care and Community Services, highlights sustained pressure across the sector, describing services as being “under sustained pressure from rising demand, workforce shortages, and limited funding.”
She also points to inequalities in access and experience, noting that “growing demand and limited capacity in community health make it harder to deliver joined-up personalised care closer to home.” Looking ahead, she states that she is working to “streamline our regulatory processes, drive up the volume, quality, and consistency of our assessments, and address health inequalities using our regulatory processes and powers.”
Mental health – legislation, inequality, and sustained scrutiny
Mental health services face a particularly demanding year ahead. Chris Dzikiti, Interim Chief Inspector of Mental Health, reflects that “while we’ve achieved a lot this year there is so much to come in 2026, including the implementation of the Mental Health Act (2025).”
He also highlights the focus on inequality, describing the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework as “the first anti-racism framework for mental health trusts and mental health service providers,” underlining CQC’s continued emphasis on rights, equality, and protection.
HLTH Compliance perspective
CQC’s message for 2026 is clear. Regulation is becoming more active, more consistent, and more explicit in its expectations. Providers should prepare for increased inspection activity, clearer sector specific scrutiny, and deeper examination of leadership, governance, access, and equity.
HLTH Compliance will continue to support providers across health and social care with inspection preparation, governance reviews, mock inspections, and regulatory strategy throughout 2026.