Shaping up to CQC

The first Care Quality Commission inspections have now taken place and so we can finally put paid to a lot of speculation and mythology about what these would involve. The rumour machine will not yet grind to a halt and some might say that some of the inspections raise more questions – perhaps some we have not thought of asking before! However CODE has collated information and feedback from its members about the inspections they have had, and the purpose of this article is to look at what has actually happened and more specifically to look at the facts of what these tell us about the way practices who have not yet had inspections should prepare.

The truth is out there in more ways than one; some practices seem still to be unaware that the main findings of CQC inspections are available for public consumption on their website. This means that any of your patients (current or potential) can check up on what has been said about you. Many dentists are taking the view that that is all the more reason to make sure that when your turn comes you have done everything you can to ensure that your practice is the picture of compliance health.