The independent regulator of health
and social care in England

Update from CQC

A regular update for providers and professionals working in primary medical and dental services

29 June 2023

Spotlight on our National Professional Advisor for Dentistry

Rob Middlefell has been our National Professional Advisor for Dentistry and Oral Health since 2019. As a part of this role, Robert provides clinical advice to our oral health inspection teams, advises the organisation on oral health and dentistry and is taking a key role in the way the sectors’ inspections will happen in the future.

Rob said, “I combine the role with running and providing clinical care at a busy multi-surgery practice in Gloucestershire. As a general dental practitioner, I am well placed to understand the challenges we face as a profession and one of my roles within CQC is to reflect these back.

“I am very proud of our profession – we have a great record of compliance with the Health and Social Care Act and when practices need to improve, they do so quickly. I am also amazed by the innovation, great practice, and new ways of thinking I witness daily. When I visit practices on inspection, I always take away something new.

“Dentistry is going through a challenging time but those of us in the profession have a unique set of skills, the ability to help people and to make a real difference. Whilst there is a need for regulation in health care, I believe it should be one that encourages improvement and puts people who use our services at the heart of everything we do.

“We have a busy year ahead as CQC transforms to its new ways of working and the single assessment framework - please keep an eye out on our website and via our provider bulletins for the latest updates.”

Have you heard of PEOPLE FIRST?

Earlier this year we published PEOPLE FIRST, an online resource designed to help system leaders and service providers in the design of person-centred urgent and emergency care services. We also hope it will help encourage innovation across integrated care systems.

We'd like to understand the awareness and application of PEOPLE FIRST. Even if you haven't heard of, or used PEOPLE FIRST, we'd like you to take this survey, by Friday 14 July 2023.

Our new public engagement strategy has launched

We've published a new strategy that sets out how we'll engage with people and with organisations that represent people.

The new strategy will run to 2026 and has four objectives:

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One-stop-shop for artificial intelligence (AI) and digital regulations for health and social care launched

A new online advice service to help the NHS and wider care system adopt and make use of new digital and AI technologies launched this month.

The AI and Digital Regulations Service provides guidance for NHS and social care adopters and digital health innovators.

The service offers:

The service is a multi-agency collaboration between CQC, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Health Research Authority and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and is funded by the NHS AI Lab.

The site provides comprehensive guidance at each stage of the adoption pathway all in one place. The service can also respond to individual enquiries, making connections with relevant services or system partners.Â

Director of Technology, Anthony Snape, said, “The use of AI in health and care settings is increasing and developing rapidly. This exciting service is an example of how CQC is instrumental in driving technology-based change that ultimately brings improvements in how we ensure that people experience safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care.”

Consultation on learning disability and autism training requirement code of practice

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a consultation on the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on statutory learning disability and autism training. This code of practice outlines how CQC-registered health and social care providers can meet the legislative requirement to ensure their staff receive training on learning disability and autism, appropriate to their role. This requirement has been in force since 1 July 2022 – further information on this requirement can be found on our website.  Â

We believe it’s essential that autistic people and people with a learning disability have access to safe, high-quality care. We have closely engaged with DHSC on the implementation of the training requirement and the development of this code of practice.Â

The consultation is open until 19 September 2023. If you’d like to respond, please see the government’s website for further information.

Help shape CQC: have your say

We regularly consult on a range of projects, and you can have your say via CitizenLab – our online participation platform. Sign up today and you can share your ideas and comment on live projects.

We’re currently looking for feedback on:Â

Registration of homeless patients in general practices

June is Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month and in the past, representative organisations have highlighted the difficulties that Romany and Traveller people in England can face when trying to register at a GP practice.

Mani Hussain, Director of Primary and Community Care, said, "I was reminded of this when I saw recent media coverage discussing how people without proof of address or a permanent address can face similar issues – again, contrary to the NHS England guidance, which states that anyone can register with a GP without proof of address. CQC's GP mythbuster 29 has more on how we inspect the way general practice provides care to different groups of people, including people without proof of address or experiencing homelessness.

"It outlines how practices have a responsibility to register people who are homeless, have no fixed abode and who are legitimately unable to provide documentation living within their catchment area. People in this situation can register with a GP using a temporary address, which may be a friend's address, a day centre or even the practice address."

Other news

Visiting may become a legal requirement for hospitals, care homes, mental health units and other health and care settings. Government plans to bring forward new legislation, and as a result seeks views from patients, care home residents, their families, professionals and providers on the introduction of secondary legislation on visiting restrictions.

We first reviewed the state of oral health in care homes in 2019. A follow-up progress report, which shows there have been improvements, published in March 2023 and can be accessed via our website.