The RCGP's governing UK Council has today voted to call for a temporary pause of routine CQC inspections, and for an end to the one-word rating system currently used in CQC reports. The College has written to @SKinnock to lay out its concerns with the regulation regime as it currently stands and make these recommendations. It has repeatedly raised concerns about the way the CQC operates in England including the excessive impact of routine inspections on GP workload, and negative experiences reported by GPs and their teams associated with them. It has also called out the potential bias inspections have shown against ethnic minority-led GP practices. RCGP Chair @KamilaRCGP said: “Today’s decision by our governing Council shows the strength of feeling amongst our members that the CQC, as it stands, is not fit for purpose. "We are calling for a temporary suspension of routine CQC inspections until an improved, cost-effective and evidence-based approach to assessments and inspections has been agreed and implemented. Of course, patient safety is our number one priority, and inspections of practices where patient safety concerns have been raised should continue. "We believe that moving away from a rating system that relies on simplistic one-word ratings, and evaluating alternatives that would provide greater support and a more nuanced and rounded view, would be an important step to creating a fairer and better regulation system that practices and patients can have confidence in." You can read the full announcement and letter on our website: rcgp.org.uk/news/gps-call-fo…

📢 A Vision for the Future of General Practice returns on Thu 15 May! Join us to discuss and explore the biggest emerging topics in general practice, connect and catch up with peers and colleagues, and update your knowledge and practice skills. Free to RCGP members - register today. ➡️ rcgpvf.org #RCGPLearning #RCGPVF

Today in Parliament 📢 MPs asked important questions to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, including on the impact of the increase in National Insurance employers contributions on general practice, which was raised several times with thanks to @MartinWrigley MP, @Sarahjolney1 MP, @LincolnJopp MP, @SeamusLoganMP, @wendychambLD MP and Shadow Health Minister @drlukeevans MP. In response @wesstreeting said GPs needed to "hold tight for funding allocations" so they could make "informed decisions about staffing and patient care." It is important that practices are given urgent clarity on how additional resources to cover these costs would be allocated, and separate from any additional investment in general practice so that it does not come at the expense of improving patient care.

RCGP Chair, Kamila Hawthorne: "It's disappointing to read these comments, and we are pleased NHS England has distanced itself from them. As the recent Darzi review found, the partnership model provides extremely good value for money for the NHS – as well as supporting innovation in the best interests of patients."