Last month, I had a CQC inspection, which concluded that some management areas need improvement. I simply can’t believe how many people then got in touch, willing to support me.
CQC inspectors weren’t impressed with my books, research or papers. They weren’t impressed with the amount of work my patient participation group has done at practice, local and regional levels. Nor were they impressed with the feedback I gained from medical school or from being a GP appraiser and trainer for physician associates.
They didn’t want to know how I did so well in my QOF, regarding prescribing, lower A&E attendances and the lowest COPD and asthma mortality, even though the statistics were all there.
Documentations, actions and managements weren’t enough
Consultation documentations, path lab actions and medicine managements were all up-to-date, but they weren’t enough either.
The amount of time it’s taken me to produce and reproduce evidence and answer their queries could have been spent seeing patients (which I love doing), or writing a book on cardiology in primary care (my next project).
I have ten people who are willing to help me change to ‘good’ in the eyes of the CQC, at a cost of £10,000 to £16,000. After all, this is the NHS – free to help and care, with an aim not to make my practice better at delivering care, but aiming to become ‘good’ on a piece of paper.
Dr Anita Sharma is a GPwSI in gynaecology in Greater Manchester; education lead at the Family Doctor Association and member of NICE’s quality standards advisory committee
