Our 2016 to 2021 strategy sets out an ambitious vision: a more targeted, responsive and collaborative approach to regulation so more people get high-quality care.

Shaping the future:
CQC's strategy for 2016 to 2021

Get a quick overview and read about our priorities in detail.

Explore our strategy

Sector by sector: what this means for services we regulate

Our plans for hospitals, primary medical services and adult social care.

What it means for services

Our priorities

Over the next five years we will focus on four priorities.

1. Encourage improvement, innovation and sustainability in care

We will work with others to support improvement, adapt our approach as new care models develop, and publish new ratings of NHS trusts' and foundation trusts' use of resources.

2. Deliver an intelligence-driven approach to regulation

We will use information from the public and providers more effectively to target resources where the risk to the quality of care is greatest and to check where quality is improving, and introduce a more proportionate approach to registration.

3. Promote a single shared view of quality

We will work with others to agree a consistent approach to defining and measuring quality, collecting information from providers, and delivering a single vision of high-quality care.

4. Improve our efficiency and effectiveness

We will work more efficiently, achieving savings each year, and improving how we work with the public and providers.

How we'll know when we've succeeded

We'll know whether we've achieved this when:

• People trust and use our expert, independent judgements about the quality of care.
• People have confidence that we will identify good and poor care and that we will take action where necessary so their rights are protected.
• Organisations that deliver care improve quality as a result of our regulation.
• Organisations are encouraged to use resources as efficiently as possible to deliver high-quality care.