GP practices to receive rating for first time ever

GP practices services and out of hours services in England will be given a rating as part of the new style inspections being carried out by the Care Quality Commission.

Around 8,000 practices will now be inspected and rated as outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate to provide the public with greater information about how their GP service is operating compared to others in their area.

This is the first time a formal system has been used to rate GP practices and a handbook has been created by the CQC to clearly define how GPs will be assessed and rated.

The announcement has been welcomed by the Alzheimer’s Society as a step towards driving up standards and ensuring more GP practices are dementia friendly.

George McNamara, head of policy and public affairs at Alzheimer's Society, said:“Given that there are nearly half a million people living with dementia in the community it is vital that GP practices are dementia friendly. GPs are often the first port of call for those worried about their memory. While we see examples of excellent service, there is still far too much variation. Some people worried about their memory are referred within weeks, but we know that sadly people can still wait months for a diagnosis of dementia and accessing vital support.

“This new inspection style will encourage open and honest discourse between doctor and patient about the service they want and expect and learning from what works. The use of formal ratings will inspire excellence across the board and give the public a formal way of understanding how well their family doctor is performing.”