This site is intended for health professionals only


The CQC must turn words into action

The CQC has taken a lot of stick on these pages, and mostly for good reason. So it is only fair to give it credit this week.

It has (finally) admitted that problems in practices are not totally the fault of GPs. Its report states: ‘We have reported previously that some GP practices have not been able to improve or to sustain improvement because of issues with poor leadership and management, but ongoing capacity pressures on general practice as a whole may affect the ability to improve’.

This certainly makes a change from the previous regime, which seemed to delight in pointing out all the problems with GPs with little attempt to explain the mitigating factors.

The CQC has to look how to improve this situation. It can start at home

But words are not enough on their own. The CQC has to look how to improve this situation. It can start at home. Stop the judgmental ratings system, and work with practices to help them manage when they do have capacity issues. Then it can lobby ministers on GPs’ behalf – by doing so they will be fulfilling their remit of improving patient safety.

We can only hope that these words have some meaning behind them.

Jaimie Kaffash is editor of Pulse. Follow him on Twitter @jkaffash or email him at editor@pulsetoday.co.uk