Care Quality Commission

Last updated                                                                          

The latest information from CQC is summarised below.

Click here for a guide to the application process for registration.

Click here for a detailed commentary, together with advice from Dental Protection.

Click here for CQC guidance on common errors in applying for registration.

Recently added pages include:

• CQC; practice visits
• CQC; registration update
• CQC; registration
• CQC; representations and appeals
• CQC; enforcement
• CQC; warning notices
• CQC; outcome 2 : consent to dental treatment
• CQC; outcome 3 : fees
• CQC; outcome 8 : cleanliness and infection control
• CQC; outcome 17 : complaints
• CQC; outcome 21 : records
• CQC; setting the bar : a framework for existing providers
• CQC; using evidence of outcomes to demonstrate compliance
• CQC; resubmissions
• CQC; providers in the final stages of registration
• CQC; death of a provider
• CQC; common misconceptions
• CQC; fees
• CQC; register of dental services
• CQC; after the initial registration
• CQC; quality and risk
• CQC; dental settings
• CQC; clinical dental technicians

Memorandum of understanding

1. CQC has now published the Memorandum of understanding between the CQC and the GDC. 

The memorandum’s aims are to:

• Provide clarity on CQC’s and GDC’s approach to avoiding overlap, duplication or gaps in accountability.
• Set out the areas in which we will work together to achieve that and how we will demonstrate our effectiveness.
• Create a framework for dealing consistently and appropriately with cases which come within both organisations’ remits and for sharing information.

CQC and GDC state that they will work together in four main areas, as well as collaborating on other issues as the need arises.

The four main areas are:

• Responding to concerns.
• Aligning approaches (including collection and use of information).
• Ensuring that GDC and CQC assurance reflects what the public wants and needs from them.
• Providing national leadership to promote quality and safety across the dental sector.

2. CQC has a Memorandum of understanding with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).

The PHSO has a statutory responsibility under the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 to consider complaints about maladministration on the part of government departments and non-governmental public bodies, including the CQC. The PHSO can, therefore, consider complaints that injustice has been sustained in consequence of maladministration by the CQC.

CQC will inform and update PHSO of any provider with conditions attached to its registration (and the nature of the conditions).

Registration

If you are a primary care service directly providing dentistry – whether this is NHS or private treatment – you must have registered with CQC from 1 April 2011.

A provider will have to register if they carry on any of the regulated activities set out in the Health and Social Act 2008

None of these are specific to dentistry so when deciding if you need to register, you will need to consider each activity and whether it applies to you.

For example, you may carry on regulated activities such as:

• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury. 
• Surgical procedures. 
• Diagnostic and screening procedures.

Each provider will only need to make one registration application. You must apply to be registered for each regulated activity you wish to carry on at each location.

What is a location? Click here to read some guidance for providers from the CQC website.

What if I am in a partnership?

All applications for registration must specify whether the service provider is an individual, an organisation or a partnership.

In order to be classified as a partnership, you must be a legally recognised formal partnership. This excludes limited liability partnerships which are treated as organisations for registration purposes.

As the situation is unclear for many dental providers, if you believe you are a formal partnership you should read CQC guidance before registering.

Will I need a registered manager?

When applying for registration as a dental care provider, you may be required to have a registered manager.

Where this is the case, the relevant person will need to apply to CQCs to take on the role.

Whether you are applying as an individual, an organisation or a partnership will help determine if you require a registered manager:

• If you are an individual provider, you do not need a registered manager unless you are not in day-to-day charge of the business. 
• If you are a partnership provider, you will need to have a registered manager but it can be one of the partners. Where this is the case, the relevant person will need to apply to us to take on the role in their own right, in addition to the provider’s application. 
• If you are an organisation provider, you will always be required to have a registered manager.