Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN)

The Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUINs) payments framework encourages care providers to share and continually improve how care is delivered and to achieve transparency and overall improvement in healthcare.

It enables commissioners to reward excellence, by linking a proportion of English healthcare providers' income to the achievement of local quality improvement goals.

The framework aims to embed quality within commissioner-provider discussions and to create a culture of continuous quality improvement, with stretching goals agreed in contracts on an annual basis.

It makes a proportion of provider income conditional on the achievement of ambitious quality improvement goals and innovations agreed between commissioner and provider, with active clinical engagement.

How did we do for 2020/21?

Early in March 2020, due the Coronavirus pandemic, the CQUINs were put on hold for Quarter 1. In July 2020, the CQUINs were formally suspended for all providers until 31st March 2021. This meant that providers were not required to implement CQUIN requirements, carry out CQUIN audits nor submit CQUIN performance data whilst being focused on the pandemic work. An allowance of CQUIN was built into nationally set payments for Trusts for the year.

What do we have planned for 2021-22?

CQUINS have been paused until the end of October 2021.