Q. When does my NHS practice have to register with the Care Quality Commission?

From April 2011 all dental practices will need to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as part of an overhaul in the way the health and adult social care sector is regulated.

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the CQC is introducing a new system of registration which brings the NHS, independent healthcare and adult social care under a single set of essential standards of quality and safety.

All dental practices will need to register, including both private and NHS and those whose practice is a mixture of the two.

The new system is designed to create parity across the health and adult social care sectors – meaning that people can expect all services to meet the same essential standards however they receive care and wherever they live.

Registration will apply to all providers of regulated health and adult social care services as well as dental care providers, GP medical practices, NHS trusts and independent ambulance providers that carry out a regulated activity.

CQC will not be looking at the practice of individual clinicians but it will be working closely with partners such as the General Dental Council (GDC) and the NHS Dental Service to help inform its approach and these bodies will all share information to avoid duplication for practitioners.

While the Act means all dental providers must be registered by next April, providers will be given specific application ‘windows’ and asked to apply at different times to allow the CQC to manage the high volume of applications. This means some providers will be asked to apply this October.

Dental providers will have a chance to give their views on the registration fee structure when CQC starts its consultation this October. There will not be any fees for the initial registration application but an annual fee will apply from 1 April 2011.

CQC will be writing to providers to advise on what will happen next and about further action that needs to be taken.

Click here to find the latest information and DPL’s advice about CQC registration.

Read the Riskwise UK article ‘You can’t come bursting in here’