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Dear colleague,
Our purpose is to ensure everyone receives safe, effective and compassionate care. We have also committed to listen, inform and protect people who use services whilst encouraging providers to improve and innovate. In Primary and Community Care we have stated two of our key priorities are to increase the volume, quality and consistency of inspections, and to streamline our systems and processes to ensure they are fit for purpose for people who use services, the public and providers.
The Returning to Good and Outstanding project is a programme of focused assessments of our low risk primary care services, starting March 2026.
These assessments will follow our established approach and methodology, but importantly, they will enable us to gain additional assurance from lower risk services that have not been inspected for some time. This project will run alongside our usual assessment activity.
Who will this affect?
The focus of this project will be the assessment of NHS GP practices that:
- hold a current rating of Good or Outstanding
- last had their inspection report published between 2017 and 2022
- are considered lower risk
- have no ongoing regulatory activity and are not dormant.
What will these assessments involve?
Assessments completed using this approach will:
- focus on 10 non-clinical quality statements
- include a site visit
- give at least 5 working days’ notice.
Assessments under this approach will not routinely involve a GP Specialist Advisor, however we will escalate to a full inspection with the support of GP Specialist Advisors if concerns are identified or if we need to make a positive escalation. We remain committed to using clinical expertise, and this project allows us to focus that expertise where it is most needed.
This project helps us to have more contact with providers, speak with more people using services, and ultimately ensure that people continue to receive safe and effective care.
Thank you for your continued work, collaboration and support.
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