Following site visit inspections the Care Quality Commission will produce an inspection report recording its findings. This includes rating a service. These reports are published and GP Practices must display their ratings.
Negative findings, breaches of regulations or ratings of ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ can have a negative effect on a service. Equally a GP Practice may be expecting a rating of ‘Outstanding’ but receives ‘Good’ and wishes to make representations about this.
GP Practices have a short period of time to make factual accuracy comments and challenge the ratings made. If you do not make representations, you will be deemed to accept the findings.
Inspections can lead to other enforcement action. This can happen immediately or following a succession of reports showing non-compliance.
GP Practices can suffer reputational, staffing and financial damage as a result of an inaccurate inspection report.
Ridouts can help you to challenge the factual accuracy of the report and the rationale behind the judgements. We will work with you to gather evidence and put together as robust response as possible.
Ridouts can help you by:
- Drafting factual accuracy comments submissions;
- Collating evidence in support of factual accuracy comments;
- Challenging ratings;
- Rating Reviews;
- Pre-action protocol letters and complaints where comments to inspection reports have not been thoroughly or properly considered.
