The Government is ‘not currently considering’ scrapping single-word CQC ratings for GP practices, despite a decision to do so for schools.
Earlier this month, the Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM) urged health secretary Wes Streeting to ‘consider abolishing’ one-word ratings for GP practices.
This was in light of the Government’s decision to scrap ‘single headline’ Ofsted ratings for schools with immediate effect.
The Department for Education review was prompted in part by concerns for the mental health of school leaders, following the tragic suicide of primary school head teacher Ruth Perry.
The review concluded that one-word grades are ‘reductive’ and ‘fail to provide a fair and accurate assessment of overall school performance across a range of areas’.
In its letter to Mr Streeting, the IGPM said this statement ‘resonates deeply’ with their own concerns about GP practice ratings, which currently ‘fail to capture the nuances of each practice’s performance’.
The body representing practice managers argued that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is ‘particularly problematic’ in general practice as each surgery ‘caters to its own unique population’.
CQC inspections also ‘lack consistency’, with the process varying ‘significantly from one inspector to another’, the letter claimed.
It continued: ‘We urge the government to explore alternative methods of assessment that would provide a more comprehensive and nuanced reflection of a practice’s performance, similar to the direction being taken within the education sector.’
However, in response, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that this change is not currently under consideration.
A spokesperson told Pulse’s sister title Management In Practice: ‘We are thoroughly reviewing the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and as part of that work we have asked the CQC to improve the transparency of their ratings. We are not currently considering a change to the single-word ratings system.’
In July, the health secretary declared that the CQC is ‘not fit for purpose’ and needs ‘increased oversight’ after a damning review identified a range of failings from the regulator.
The report highlighted a ‘lack of consistency’ and transparency in CQC ratings of GP practices, and found that staff who worked across large groups of GP practices ‘report ratings differing from one site to the other’, when those differences are not observed in reality.
