GP surgeries under new pressure to improve from CQC

GP practices that provide inadequate care will be given deadlines for improvement or face closure, under a new system of 'special measures' proposed today by Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector of General Practice. This brings them into line with other sectors regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

CQC will begin to introduce special measures from October this year. This will coincide with CQC starting to rate 8,000 NHS GP practices on the basis of whether they are outstanding; good; requires improvement or inadequate.

The proposals suggest that where aspects of a service are rated 'inadequate', practices will have six months to improve. If they fail to improve they will be put into special measures and if after a maximum of a further six months they are still found to be inadequate, they will have their registration with CQC cancelled and/or their contract terminated by NHS England.

Where, at the end of special measures, if the provider fails to improve and their registration is cancelled or where a contract is terminated by NHS England there would be joint planning between CQC and NHS England to ensure that patients registered at the practice continue to receive GP services.

NHS England and the Royal College of General Practitioners are developing arrangements to provide support to GP practices that are placed in special measures.

In a statement released today, Professor Field said: “Most GP practices provide good care. We have confirmed this in our pilot inspections so far. But we can't allow those that provide poor care to continue to let their patients have an inadequate service. I want to do all I can to drive up standards in those that are not providing the services people deserve.”