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Inspection of services for children, older people and the mentally ill will be done jointly and take into account wider measures of satisfaction and progress, the Healthcare Commission has announced, writes Paul Stephenson.

The new measures of inspection, which will replace the current star ratings system for healthcare organisations, are being consulted on before being implemented next year.

Inspections will then be on a broader range of seven core standards including the care environment and patient focus.

The Commission says it recognises that mental health and learning disability organisations, and primary care trusts with their responsibility for commissioning, need to have standards and targets interpreted in ways that matter to patients.

Mental Health Foundation chief executive Dr Andrew McCullough said the new system was likely to address criticisms of the way services for the mentally ill have been assessed.

He said: ‘They are acknowledging precisely the sorts of criticisms which have been made – not being sensitive to quality and not being sensitive to the patient’s view.

It feels like it is moving to a system that is locally sensitive.’

Improvement reviews of adult community mental health services are currently being piloted with the Commission for Social Care Inspection, and of older people’s services with CSCI and the Audit Commission.

A Healthcare Commission spokesperson said the Commission and CSCI had very similar views of the way forward for inspection. She said: "We share quite a similar vision and are moving towards a more risk based and proportionate method of assessment."