Updates to Monitor's 'Risk assessment framework'

The proposed changes described in this document only apply to NHS foundation trusts.

Here are some of the important areas Monitor is consulting on:

• introducing access measures for mental health services as proxies of governance
• introducing access and outcome measures for high and medium secure services as proxies of governance
• additional triggers for investigating financial risk at a provider to help ensure early identification and intervention for continuity of services risks

Monitor also intends to:

• change the name of ‘quality governance’ indicators to ‘organisational health’ indicators, and make their use clearer
• update terminology to take into account changes relating to new policies, such as the Care Quality Commission’s inspections make other clarifications

Next steps

After considering the feedback Monitor will update and publish a revised ‘Risk assessment framework’ in March 2015. The changes will take effect from 1 April 2015.

If the updates require changes to the Annual planning review templates and the quarterly reporting templates Monitor will issue an update to each of these as appropriate.