Scotland’s Care Regulator Places PainChek® at the Forefront of Innovation in their Quality Improvement Plan

1​2 September 2023

The Care Inspectorate (Scotland’s care regulator) is dedicated to promoting quality improvement (QI) in social care, social work, local health and social care partnerships, and early learning and childcare.

They have just issued their Quality Improvement Plan for 2023/24, which forms part of their three-year Quality Improvement and Involvement strategy covering 2022-2025. This strategy is built around four key pillars aimed at improving quality and participation. Within the Innovation pillar, PainChek® is featured as a key technology.

The four foundational pillars for quality improvement and participation are:

1. Quality Improvement Capacity and Capability
2. Innovation
3. Involvement and Equalities
4. Quality Improvement Support

A critical component of the ‘Innovation’ pillar is Phase 2 of Care Inspectorate’s ‘test of change’ initiative. This initiative focuses on trialling PainChek® with up to 15 services with the aim of improving pain assessment and enhancing the overall quality of care.

Using a quality improvement approach for innovation, the Care Inspectorate plans to test out new ways of working and approaches to addressing complex issues within the industry. Collaborating with partners across the health and care sector, the overarching goal is to influence policy and practice.

This endorsement supports the expansion of PainChek in the UK, providing a pathway to more than 440,000 aged care beds and across broader social care services, including home care.

“We are delighted that the Care Inspectorate in Scotland have placed PainChek® at the forefront of innovation in their quality improvement plan. Over the course of the last 12 months PainChek have been working collaboratively with the Care Inspectorate on an improvement pilot in Lothian, with some positive outcomes achieved with medication optimisation, reductions in falls and reduced dependency rates as pain is being promptly identified and monitored using the PainChek® system.”

— Tandeep Gill, Head of Business Development UK&I, PainChek

As stated in the Nurses Network Journal, the Care Inspectorate will be continuing their work with PainChek to expand the solution to different services across Scotland to improve the quality of care for people living with Dementia and Learning Disabilities in anticipation of a broader expansion across Scotland.

To read the Care Inspectorate’s full Quality Improvement Plan 2023/24, please click here.

About Care Inspectorate

The Care Inspectorate is a scrutiny body which supports improvement. That means we look at the quality of care in Scotland to ensure it meets high standards. Where we find that improvement is needed, we support services to make positive changes.

Our vision is that everyone experiences safe, high-quality care that meets their needs, rights and choices.

Our 600 staff work across Scotland, specialising in health and social care, early learning and childcare, social work, children’s services, and community justice.

Find out more: https://www.careinspectorate.com/