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Revealed: Three practices to fight CQC closure notices

Exclusive Three GP practices will appeal closure notices issued by the CQC after it refused to register them from April, Pulse has learnt.

The practices - two single handed GPs and one partnership - have appealed against the CQC’s closure notices, which were issued at the beginning of April.

The CQC has also refused to disclose the identity of the two practices it forced to close before April, which led to the PCTs reassigning all patients to alternative GPs, or the grounds on which they were closed, provoking criticism from GP leaders.

The commission has 28 days to respond and say if the proposal to refuse to register the three practices still stands. After this, if the CQC upholds the decision to refuse registration, the practices can lodge a formal appeal to the First Tier Tribunal Service, and if they lose this they will be closed.

A CQC spokesperson said they could not make any further comment at this stage while the appeal process is still ongoing.

The two closed practices cannot be named - despite patients and the PCT being told of the closure - in case they re-apply to be registered with the CQC in the future, the spokesperson added.

A CQC spokesperson added that a further practice was initially refused registration, but re-applied with a new partnership model and was granted registration.

Dr Peter Swinyard, chairman of the Family Doctors Association, said more transparency was needed from the CQC on the way it worked.

He said: ‘It’s just disastrous. It’s almost as though they had to fail someone. If CQC say you can’t operate it’s like being sacked, it’s the end of your livelihood.

‘I think we need to know more about the practices and on what grounds they were refused registration. That ought to go into the public domain. If they are not safe places to receive care then the public ought to be given enough information to make that decision.

‘If there’s no information then we haven’t got any grounds on which to advise the public. If it’s just something to do with the building then that’s one thing, but if it’s something to do with the quality of care provided within that building then that’s another thing altogether.’

Dr Richard Vautrey, GPC deputy chair, agreed a ‘fair’ system was needed. He said: ‘I would hope the CQC would look at the reasons the practices are appealing very carefully and that due process is followed. We need a local system is in place that is fair.’

A further two practices that were issued with closure notices before 1 April have since been granted registration, the CQC said.