Annual report and accounts 2024/2025

Foreword

In publishing this annual report and accounts for 2024/25, we recognise that the reporting period covered is now quite old.

Our organisation has changed considerably during the 2025/26 period, so it is important that we reflect this as we report on an older accounting period.

This report is substantially the position of CQC during the 2024/25 period. We are publishing these accounts about a year after we would have preferred. The lateness of reporting is beyond CQC’s control - it is due to some local government financial reporting and provision of pension assurance information from the Local Government Pension Scheme auditors. This information is a material aspect of our financial statements and required for certification of our accounts. The National Audit Office is aware of the situation. Further information relating to the delay is detailed in the report.

In this report, we are reflecting on a period of significant organisational and leadership change, during a period when we were focused on responding to hard-hitting independent reports from Dr Penny Dash, Professor Sir Mike Richards and Peter Gill. This report strikes a balance between respect for the accounting period and subsequent changes that are more reflective of the progress we have made towards rebuilding CQC.

The commitment and dedication of our people has ensured that good work has continued to be delivered, and this is detailed in our performance report. This commitment and resolve has helped put us in a stronger position as we continue to improve the way we work.

Last year, we identified 4 immediate actions and 5 foundational improvements needed to rebuild CQC. This report describes our progress on our commitments and the collaborative work that is happening across our organisation and with our external stakeholders.

Our purpose remains clear: to be the strong, effective regulator of health and social care that people and providers need and deserve. Earlier this year, we made a strong step towards a sector-based approach to regulation as we published 4 draft assessment frameworks – covering adult social care, mental health care, primary care and community services, and hospitals, secondary and specialist services. This is a crucial part of our commitment to deliver a regulatory approach that is clearer, more proportionate, and better able to support improvement in the quality of care – and it comes after a wide-ranging consultation with more than 1,000 responses from our stakeholders.

Moving into 2026/27, we will continue to engage with our stakeholders as we develop and refine our approach. Their contribution and this collaboration has been invaluable as we have stabilised our organisation and clarified the way forward. At every level of the organisation, we have invested time in meeting with and listening to the public, our stakeholders and those we regulate so that we really understand what change they need from us and how we can better deliver it.

While we know there is much work still to do to rebuild trust and confidence, we have made progress against the immediate priorities and the foundational improvements – and we are determined to continue to improve our registration services, how we respond to concerns, and how we deliver an increasing number of assessments that support improvement. We will report back on these assessments more quickly and do more to share best practice and support improvement. And we will use our unique oversight of health and social care to call out issues that need national attention and solutions.

We are committed to getting this right and accelerating the improvements that are needed so that more people get better care.

Sir Mike Richards CBE MD FRCP
Chair

Dr Arun Chopra
Interim Chief Executive

Presented to Parliament pursuant to paragraph 10(4) of Schedule 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008

Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 21 May 2026