England - key agencies at a glance

This section includes information about the overarching national agencies:

Department of Health
The Department of Health provides health and social care policy, guidance and publications for NHS and social care professionals in England. Its work includes setting national standards, shaping the direction of health and social care services and promoting healthier living.

Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The Care Quality Commission was established by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and will take up its responsibilities for regulating the quality of health and social care in England in April 2009. It will bring together the work of the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission, and the Mental Health Act Commission. The website sets out the vision of the Care Quality Commission and provides information and publications about its governance arrangements and review processes.

The RCN Policy Unit has produced a briefing on the Care Quality Commission. See Policy briefing 15/2008 - The Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England (PDF 67.8KB) [See how to access PDF files].

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health in England and Wales. NICE develops guidance in three main areas - clinical practice guidelines, based on best practice, for the treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions; health technology guidance which involves appraisals of medicines and treatments and guidance on interventional procedures; and public health guidance for the promotion of health and prevention of ill-health.

National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA)
The NPSA is an Arm's Length Body of the Department of Health which leads and contributes to improved, safe patient care by informing, supporting and influending organisations and people working in healthcare. The NPSA has three divisions covering the UK health service: the National Reporting and Learning Service; the National Clinical Assessment Service and the National Research Ethics Service.

NHS Connecting for Health
NHS Connecting for Health (NHS CFH) is a Department of Health agency which is delivering the National Programme for IT in England. Scotland and Wales have their own independent health services which are developing their own IT programmes,  there is however close co-operation between all of the Health Services in the UK. The NPfIT aims to bring modern information and communication systems into the NHS to improve patient care and services. The site provides guidance on implementation and case studies of implementation in action.

Key national agencies for all the UK countries found in the themed areas of the website :

Please also visit the different themes which appear in the left hand menu and are highlighted on the clinical governance resource homepage for a wider range of resources specific to that theme. For example, patient focus.