Which organization regulates healthcare standards and practices in England?

The organization that regulates healthcare standards and practices in England is the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This independent regulator is responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and regulating health and social care services, ensuring they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. The CQC's role includes publishing reports and ratings for services, which helps to inform the public about the care they can expect to receive.

The CQC also ensures accountability by taking action against services that do not meet required standards, thus playing a critical role in maintaining high-quality healthcare across the country. By conducting regular inspections, the CQC evaluates how well services are performing and whether they are delivering safe, effective, compassionate, and high-quality care.

In contrast, Clinical Commissioning Groups focus on planning and commissioning health services rather than enforcing rules. NHS Foundation Trusts operate hospital services and have a degree of independence but are not regulatory bodies. Health and Wellbeing Boards are partnerships that aim to improve health and social care outcomes for local populations, but they do not regulate healthcare practices directly. Thus, the Care Quality Commission stands out as the authoritative body for ensuring compliance with healthcare standards in England.