Responsive · KLOE 3

Timely and equitable access

Does the service ensure that everyone can access equitable and timely care, treatment and support?

CQC wording, primary care and community services draft V6.0, pages 40 to 42.

Draft, not the current assessment framework

CQC's primary care and community services draft V6.0, published March 2026. The current quality statements remain in use.

CQC draft scope

What this proposed KLOE covers

Scope of this key line of enquiry and topic areas include:

The draft applies one framework across primary care and community services, but useful evidence depends on your service and people.

Source: CQC, Primary care and community services assessment framework, draft V6.0, 19 March 2026, pages 40 to 42. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

CQC draft rating characteristics

These are CQC's draft characteristics. CQC says rating characteristics guide judgements, they are not a mechanical checklist.

There is a proactive approach to understanding the access needs and preferences of individual people and groups of people. This ensures that barriers preventing people from accessing care are removed.
People who are more likely to experience barriers or delays in accessing care are key partners in developing the service, and their involvement is used to improve access for all.
The service proactively seeks to identify and address any delays to care, treatment or support. This includes working with external partners.
The service uses innovative technology, such as artificial intelligence and online services appropriately to ensure people have timely access to care, treatment and support.

People can access care, treatment and support when they need to and in a way that works for them, which promotes equality, removes barriers and protects their rights.
Staff work to achieve equitable and timely access in line with best practice quality standards and legal requirements, including those on equality and human rights. This includes making reasonable adjustments for disabled people, meeting information and communication needs, addressing communication barriers and having accessible premises and equipment.
The service uses feedback from people, communities and other evidence to improve access for people more likely to experience barriers or delays in accessing their care. Resources needed to tackle inequalities and achieve equity of access are prioritised and allocated.
The service takes action to minimise the length of time people wait for care, treatment and support. This includes monitoring call abandonment rates. Waiting times are well-managed and risk assessed to prioritise need.
People are supported to access other services, including advice on where to get post-treatment support, local out-of-hours services and emergency services.
The service ensures people have timely access to care, treatment and support, for example by using technology. Staff identify people who may be digitally excluded and offer alternative ways of accessing care.

People cannot always access care, treatment and support when they need to or in a way that works for them.
When there are long waiting times, delays or cancellations, the service does not always act quickly to deal with this, or the actions are not always effective.
Staff have a limited understanding about how to ensure their service is accessible to all. The service will occasionally allocate resources to tackle inequalities in access.
The service’s provision of information and advice about how to access other services, including post-treatment support, local out-of-hours services and emergency services, is inconsistent between.
The service doesn’t always use feedback to improve access for people more likely to experience barriers or delays in accessing their care.

People are unable to access the care and treatment they need. Services are not set up to support people who may have difficulties accessing care.
People experience unacceptable waits for some services.
Staff do not understand how to ensure their service is accessible to all. Barriers to accessing care, such as those relating to equality characteristics or cultural barriers, are not understood or removed.
The service does not give people information and advice on accessing other services, including post-treatment support, local out-of-hours services or emergency services.
The service does not seek feedback to improve access for people more likely to experience barriers or delays in accessing their care.

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