The CQC has said it will resume some of its GP practice inspections from April that had been paused because of the pandemic.
Last month, the regulator said it would continue its ‘risk-based’ approach to GP practice inspections – introduced during the pandemic – for another three months.
But an update sent to practices last week (19 March), the CQC said it would be ‘undertaking some additional activity’ from April 2021.
The email update said this would include ‘resuming inspection of GP, out of hours and 111 services that have breaches of regulations including those rated as inadequate, requires improvement and good with breaches of regulation’.
Services ‘rated as requires improvement where there are no breaches of regulation’ will also now face inspections, it added.
The update said: ‘We will also inspect services that are newly registered have not been inspected during the 12 months since registration, or the three months since registration for online services.
‘These will be focused inspections looking at three key questions (safe, effective and well-led), as well as any other key questions rated as requires improvement/inadequate and any other areas identified as a concern from previous inspection.’
At the start of the pandemic in March, the CQC announced it was pausing routine inspections.
But GP practices had been asked to welcome CQC inspectors again from 19 October, as the regulator set the start date for its ‘transitional’ regulatory approach based on ‘risk’.
It comes as the CQC is currently consulting on plans to phase out on-site GP practice inspections except in cases where it has been alerted to safety risks.
Meanwhile, a CQC review this week found that the Government must firm up national advice on DNACPR orders.
And CQC guidance updated last week clarified that apologising for mistakes ‘does not mean accepting liability’ and will not affect indemnity cover.
This story first appeared on our sister title, Pulse.
