Call to block CQC regulation

  GPs should campaign to abolish the regulation of their profession by the CQC (Care Quality Commission), a special conference agreed. Hundreds of GPs gathering in London today attacked the system of practice inspections run by the CQC and said urgent reform was needed. The special local medical committees conference suggested an alternative quality-assurance scheme, which would be peer-led and based on a criteria that would improve patient care and safety. GPs also urged the BMA GPs committee to explore all options in which practices can ‘lawfully withdraw from engaging’ with the CQC.     'Very stressful' Birmingham GP Samir Dawlatly also suggested that the GPC collect qualitative and quantitative evidence to support the call to abolish CQC regulation. The GPC published the results of a survey this week which found eight out of 10 GPs thought preparing for a CQC inspection was ‘very stressful’. In a speech to the conference earlier, GPC chair Chaand Nagpaul said the CQC itself needed to be put into ‘special measures’. While, in an address to the meeting, Royal College of GPs chair Maureen Baker also called for the suspension of CQC inspections saying they were not fit for purpose. GPs at the special LMCs conference also demanded all fees paid to the regulation by GPs are fully reimbursed, and opposed proposed sevenfold hikes in CQC fees. The BMA has strongly opposed this move in a consultation response to the regulator.
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news