Rehab centre manager says Portsmouth health watchdog '˜is not experienced' in drug work and had '˜many misunderstandings'Â

He said: '˜Back in September when we received the first CQC report, we were initially frustrated at the many misunderstandings made by CQC in a field they are not experienced in, as well as frustrated at several instances of things being taken out of context.

'˜It was alarming to learn of the extent of the new documentary requirements by CQC for their new inspection criteria and it is sad that in practice, this means that many independent rehabs will likely shut down due to lack of resources to deal with the extremely high level of documentation required at all times moving forwards.

'˜It was also disappointing to receive a report that is so far out of line with every other indicator of quality that we have. After a few weeks of in-depth conversation with CQC, it appeared that we are one of the first substance misuse services to be inspected by the new CQC criteria, and we identified that we could address issues of newly required documentation at our end, as well as help the CQC inspectors better understand the ins and outs of any substance misuse service.

'˜Since late September when the tone of conversation from CQC shifted dramatically, we have actually been quite excited to be implementing many new methods of documenting the high quality of treatment that ARC has always provided. '˜

'˜Since we first opened in 2006 we have continually sought to innovate and improve an already exceptionally effective treatment centre, and this current CQC experience is simply another opportunity to embrace this mindset.  We expect to receive a CQC rating of outstanding when this current inspection process is finalised, and we believe that ARC will be one of the only substance misuse services nationwide who are able to achieve a rating of outstanding.'