CQC’s "Return to Good and Outstanding" Scheme: What It Means for Your GP Practice

ere is the rewritten blog post, fully tailored for a UK audience using British English spelling, terminology, and phrasing (e.g., programme, organised, homing in, centre, prioritised).

SEO Blog Post Draft

Suggested Target Keywords: CQC Returning to Good and Outstanding, CQC inspection updates 2026, GP practice compliance CQC, CQC 10 quality statements general practice, CQC site visit preparation

Meta Title: CQC ‘Returning to Good and Outstanding’: The Exact 10 Quality Statements Checked Meta Description:CQC is launching focused assessments for Good and Outstanding GP practices. Learn which 10 non-clinical quality statements inspectors are assessing and how to prepare.

CQC’s "Returning to Good and Outstanding" Scheme: What It Means for Your GP Practice

If your GP practice is currently rated Good or Outstanding, but you haven’t seen a CQC inspector walk through your doors since between 2017 and 2022, change is on the horizon.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has launched its Returning to Good and Outstanding initiative, a targeted assessment programme designed to re-engage with lower-risk primary care providers that haven't been assessed in recent years.

While receiving a CQC notification can feel daunting, this scheme is a structured, predictable process provided your practice and practice management team are prepared. Here is everything you need to know about what’s changing, the exact 10 quality statements under review, and how to protect your rating.

What Is the "Returning to Good and Outstanding" Project?

Historically, lower-risk primary care services with strong ratings sat lower on the CQC’s inspection queue while high-risk providers took priority. However, to restore consistency, update outdated ratings, and offer public assurance, the CQC is rolling out focused assessments.

Who is in scope?

Your practice will likely be contacted under this scheme if you meet all of the following criteria:

• You are an NHS GP practice currently rated Good or Outstanding.

• Your last inspection report was published between 2017 and 2022.

• Your practice is classified as lower risk with no ongoing regulatory or enforcement action.

Eye-level view of a healthcare facility's inspection checklist

How Will These New CQC Assessments Work?

The CQC has streamlined this process to make it focused and efficient, but that doesn't mean you can relax your guard. Key features of the new assessment format include:

• Short Notice Window: Practices receive 5 working days’ notice before a site visit.

• Focus on 10 Non-Clinical Quality Statements: Inspectors will not be assessing all 34 Quality Statements under the Single Assessment Framework. Instead, they are evaluating 10 specific non-clinical statements spanning all 5 Key Questions.

• No Routine Clinical Specialist Advisors: Unless concerns are flagged during the assessment, inspections are led by CQC inspectors without a GP Specialist Advisor present.

• Escalation Pathway: If inspectors uncover unmanaged risks — or conversely, evidence that your practice deserves an upgrade to Outstanding — they can escalate to a full inspection involving clinical advisors.

  
  

The Exact 10 Quality Statements Assessed

Because these focused assessments do not routinely involve a GP Specialist Advisor, the scrutiny falls heavily on operational management, safety, governance, and equity of care.

Here are the exact 10 Quality Statements across the 5 Key Questions being audited:

1. Safe: Safe Environments

• What inspectors look for: Equipment calibration logs, fire safety risk assessments, Legionella testing, COSHH documentation, and general physical premises safety.

  
  

2. Safe: Safe and Effective Staffing

• What inspectors look for: Complete HR and recruitment files (DBS checks, qualifications, identity checks), mandatory training compliance matrices, induction logs, and rotas.

  
  

3. Safe: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)

• What inspectors look for: Annual IPC audits, designated IPC lead oversight, hand hygiene monitoring, clinical waste management, and environmental cleaning schedules.

  
  

4. Effective: Supporting People to Live Healthier Lives

• What inspectors look for: Non-clinical pathways supporting health promotion, public health screening awareness, social prescribing linkages, and patient self-management support.

  
  

5. Effective: Monitoring and Improving Outcomes

• What inspectors look for: Audit schedules, clinical and operational quality monitoring, and evidence of how performance data is used to continuously drive improvement.

  
  

6. Caring: Kindness, Compassion and Dignity

• What inspectors look for: How staff interact with patients, privacy at reception desks, staff culture, and patient feedback mechanisms (such as Friends & Family Test results).

  
  

7. Responsive: Equity in Access

• What inspectors look for: Appointment availability, telephone triage systems, digital booking access, and how the practice accommodates patients with communication or mobility barriers.

  
  

8. Responsive: Equity in Experience and Outcomes

• What inspectors look for: Analysis of complaints, feedback from diverse patient demographics, and active steps taken to reduce health inequalities within your patient population.

  
  

9. Well-Led: Shared Direction and Culture

• What inspectors look for: Clear leadership vision, staff engagement, open culture, Whistleblowing / Freedom to Speak Up policies, and team meeting minutes.

  
  

10. Well-Led: Governance, Management and Sustainability

• What inspectors look for: Risk registers, policy management (up to date and signed off), clear oversight structures, and evidence of organisational stability.

  
  

4 Immediate Steps to Prepare Your Practice

With only 5 working days’ notice guaranteed, waiting for the phone call is a high-risk strategy. Take these proactive steps today:

1. Audit Your Evidence Against the 10 Statements

Map your existing documentation directly against these 10 quality statements. Ensure all policies, audits, and risk registers are up to date and easily accessible digitally.

2. Run a Mock "5-Day Notice" Drill

Can your Practice Manager and leadership team locate staff training matrices, recent IPC audits, and premises safety logs within 30 minutes? Identify missing paperwork before the CQC calls.

3. Review Access and Patient Feedback Data

Access (Responsive) is under intense regulatory scrutiny. Review your practice’s recent patient survey results, telephone system metrics, and complaints log to ensure action plans are in place for any negative trends.

4. Check Staff Culture and Lead Roles

Inspectors will speak with non-clinical and frontline staff. Ensure your team knows who the designated leads are for IPC, safeguarding, and health & safety, and that they understand how to report significant events.

Don't Leave Your Rating to Chance

A "Good" or "Outstanding" rating takes years to build, but gaps in non-clinical governance and operational paperwork can put it at risk in a single morning.

At CQC Consultancy, we specialise in helping NHS GP practices navigate CQC inspections with total confidence. From mock CQC audits to bespoke policy reviews and 5-day notice emergency prep, our expert compliance consultants ensure your practice is always inspection-ready.