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F167 Accepted in Part

Approved Practice Settings

Mid Staffs Inquiry · Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry · Issued 6 February 2013 · Addressed to: GMC

Source — verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation

The Department of Health and the General Medical Council should review the powers available to the General Medical Council in support of assessment and monitoring of approved practice settings establishments with a view to ensuring that the General Medical Council (or if considered to be more appropriate, the healthcare systems regulator) has the power to inspect establishments, either itself or by an appointed entity on its behalf, and to require the production of relevant information.

Mid Staffs Inquiry, Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry · 6 Feb 2013 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:

- The GMC has powers under the Medical Act 1983 to set standards for medical education and training and to conduct quality assurance visits to training providers. However, the GMC's powers in relation to approved practice settings for revalidation purposes are more limited; the GMC can set criteria for approval but does not have a specific statutory power to inspect approved practice settings in the same way that CQC can inspect registered providers (Medical Act 1983).
- CQC has statutory powers to inspect all registered healthcare providers under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, including providers that operate as approved practice settings. CQC can enter premises, observe care, and take enforcement action where standards are not met. This provides an inspection power covering many, but not all, settings where doctors practise (Health and Social Care Act 2008, Part 1).
- The government's response in "Hard Truths" (Cm 8777, November 2013) stated that the Department of Health and GMC should review the powers available to the GMC for assessment and monitoring of approved practice settings, with a view to ensuring appropriate inspection powers exist. The response noted that CQC's existing inspection powers might be the most appropriate mechanism for some settings (Hard Truths, DHSC, November 2013).
- No published evidence has been identified of a completed review of GMC inspection powers for approved practice settings or of legislation granting the GMC specific powers to inspect such settings, as distinct from CQC's existing powers to inspect registered providers.

Response — verbatim from government

●Department of Health and Social Care

The government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" in March 2013. Key reforms included a new Chief Inspector of Hospitals, strengthened Care Quality Commission inspection regime, a statutory duty of candour, and the fit and proper person test for NHS directors. Volume 2 (Cm 8754) contains the government's detailed responses to each of the 290 recommendations. See: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cd486ed915d63cc65d167/34658_Cm_8777_Vol_1_accessible.pdf

Department of Health and Social Care · 19 Nov 2013 Written response →

Evidence trail — what's actually happened since

  • 15 Oct 2024 · DHSC - Penny Dash Review of CQC Penny Dash Review (commissioned May 2024) found significant failings at CQC. Health Secretary declared CQC "not fit for purpose". Key findings: one in five services never rated; inspection levels well below pre-pandemic levels; lack of specialist inspector expertise; 5,000 notification-of-concern backlog. CQC consulting on resetting its approach from October 2025. View source → limited_progress
  • 6 Feb 2023 · Academic Review - Ten Years After Francis Research published 2023 marking ten years since the Francis Report found mixed results. Structural and legislative changes largely delivered (duty of candour, FPPR, CQC overhaul, revalidation, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians). However, cultural change not fully embedded; understaffing, fear of speaking up, and poor complaint handling persist in parts of the NHS. View source → Reasonable Progress
  • 1 Apr 2016 · Legislation - Health and Social Care Act 2012 (Monitor reformed) Monitor merged with the Trust Development Authority to form NHS Improvement from 1 April 2016. NHS Improvement then merged with NHS England from 1 July 2022 under Health and Care Act 2022. Francis recommended incremental merger of system regulatory functions between Monitor and CQC; this was partially achieved through structural reorganisation. View source → Confirmed Completed
  • 11 Feb 2015 · UK Government - Culture Change in the NHS Government published "Culture Change in the NHS" (Cm 9009) reporting progress on all 290 recommendations. Key achievements: 19 hospitals placed in special measures; those trusts recruited 109 additional doctors and 1,805 additional nurses; 129 board-level changes made; excess avoidable deaths fell by 450 in less than a year. View source → Good Progress
  • 7 Nov 2014 · Legislation - CQC Fundamental Standards New "Fundamental Standards" replaced previous CQC registration requirements from 7 November 2014. Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 introduced clearer minimum standards including: person-centred care (Reg 9), dignity (Reg 10), safe care (Reg 12), staffing (Reg 18), good governance (Reg 17), fit and proper persons (Reg 5), duty of candour (Reg 20). View source → Confirmed Completed
  • 1 Oct 2014 · CQC - New Inspection Regime CQC overhauled its inspection regime in response to Francis. Professor Sir Mike Richards appointed as first Chief Inspector of Hospitals (July 2013). New methodology based on five key questions (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, Well-led) rolled out nationally October 2014. Four-tier ratings introduced (Outstanding/Good/Requires Improvement/Inadequate). Specialist expert-led inspection teams replaced generalist compliance model. View source → Confirmed Completed
  • 19 Nov 2013 · UK Government - Hard Truths Vol 1 & 2 Government published "Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) in two volumes. Vol 1 set out new actions; Vol 2 provided detailed response to each of the 290 recommendations. Approximately 204 of 290 recommendations were fully accepted. View source → Good Progress
  • 3 Dec 2012 · GMC - Medical Revalidation GMC medical revalidation launched December 2012. All licensed doctors must demonstrate fitness to practise every five years through appraisal and evidence. Francis Report endorsed and recommended strengthening revalidation. View source → Confirmed Completed

Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.

How this page is built

Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.

This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.