NHS England Quality Committee
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Deep Dive: General Practice (GP access and addressing unwarranted variation)
1. Members reviewed progress on improving GP access and reducing unwarranted variation, noting improved patient satisfaction with access, better hypertension identification and treatment, and the introduction of a national GP Dashboard to support comparison and improvement.
2. Discussion included referral management, the role of neighbourhood teams, improvements to triage and access, and greater involvement of Patient Participation Groups.
Patient experience and quality issues within mental health services, including progress against improvement plans
3. The committee received an update on patient experience and quality issues in mental health services, including MHLDA inpatient care, Out of Area Placements, and the expansion of assertive outreach.
National Medical Director and Chief Nursing Officer report
4. The report highlighted ongoing quality improvement work across several areas, including paediatric audiology, women’s and men’s health, eradicating corridor care, and infection prevention and control, particularly for C. difficile.
5. Members emphasised the importance of adhering to CQC standards and ensuring patients receive care in appropriate settings. Updates were provided on the Quality Strategy and its alignment with the 10-Year Healthcare Plan, including the launch of MSFs for SMI, Sepsis, and cardiovascular disease, with further MSFs planned.
Integrated Quality Report
6. The Committee noted the report, welcoming the focus on primary care patient experience and the planned creation of a new Directorate for Patient Experience, including recruitment of a director.
7. Discussions also covered metrics, emphasising alignment with existing oversight measures and harmonisation of Federated Data Platform metrics into a single dashboard.
Update on key Maternity and Neonatal investigations and Maternity and Neonatal Programme (MNP) Progress
8. The Committee received updates on maternity and neonatal care, including ongoing reviews and investigations in multiple regions and the development of a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, with its first meeting in January 2026.
9. The Maternity Outcomes Signal System (MOSS) was launched in November 2025 to help trusts identify potential safety issues, alongside an upcoming Maternal Care Bundle and elements of the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination programme. Discussions emphasised compassionate care, effective use of outcome data for comparison, and empowering women and families with information, potentially through the NHS App.
Strategic Risk Register
10. The committee noted the strategic risk register for quality.
National Quality Board
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Overview of Quality of Care
11. The NQB discussed the future approach to assessing quality of care, with updates from CQC and NHSE on developing a core set of metrics covering life expectancy, equality, and the safe, effective and experience domains, alongside insights from patients, staff and complaints.
Quality Strategy
12. The Board provided feedback on the draft Quality Strategy, emphasising the need for a consistent quality management system, strong culture and leadership, and alignment with the 10-Year Health Plan, with a revised version due in March.
Patient Experience
13. The Board were updated on plans for the new Patient Experience Directorate and recruitment of a director covering both patient and staff experience.
Modern Service Frameworks
14. The NQB supported the decision to have an MSF for Children and Young People and reviewed and fed back on the current draft for this MSF as well as the drafts MSFs for Cardiovascular Disease, and Sepsis. It was also agreed that NQB will own MSF approval and governance, with development teams reporting to the Quality Oversight Board.