The Healthcare Commission is England’s watchdog for healthcare. It works to promote improvements in the quality of healthcare and public health in England and Wales.

In England, it assesses and reports on the performance of the NHS and independent healthcare organisations, in order to:

• Ensure that they are providing a high standard of care.
• Promote continual improvement for patients.
• Equip the public with the best possible information about the quality of healthcare services.

The HC Commission have set out Regulations and National Minimum Standards, known as the Care Standards Act 2000 (CSA2000). The Regulations and Standards are used to determine whether providers have in place appropriate safeguards and quality assurance arrangements for their patients.

As 1st April the Healthcare Commission will be taken over by the Care Quality Commission.