Ian Lloyd shares the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a new provider.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) oversees certain ‘regulated activities’, which are referred to through the regulations. These are the activities and services each sector provides to patients and all those who use their services.
All providers of health and social care services are required to choose the regulated activities applicable to their sector. In dental practice the most common regulated activities are:
- Diagnostic and screening procedures
- Treatment of disease disorder or injury
- Surgical procedures.
In order to register as a new provider, practices must use the CQC’s new online Provider Portal, a website set up to offer users a better experience when submitting statutory notifications and registration applications.
Registering as a new provider is a very rigorous process! Ahead of completing the online application via the provider portal, a lot of preparation is required.
You will need the following…
DBS enhanced checks
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are required for:
- An individual provider
- All registered partners
- Registered managers
- Nominated individuals.
The DBS must have an issue date that is less than 12 months old, and it must include both the adult’s and children’s barred list check.
If you are not a registered healthcare professional, ie not registered with the General Dental Council (GDC), you must have a CQC countersigned enhanced DBS (CQC-CE-DBS).
The original DBS must be posted to the CQC offices in Newcastle upon Tyne unless it is a CQC countersigned version.
Statement of purpose
You will need to upload your statement of purpose (parts one to four) into the portal. It is a legal requirement for all registered providers to have an accurate and up-to-date statement of purpose.
Part one includes details such name, type, contact details and partners. In part two, describe your aims and objectives in providing the services you plan to provide. The CQC refers to these services as ‘regulated activities’.
Part three includes your address and contact details, a description of the location and the type of service you provide at or from the location. This should consider the different needs of people who use your service, the regulated activities you will provide and the registered manager.
Part four should provide details of the registered manager(s). This is the person (or people) who will manage the regulated activities on a day-to-day basis. You should include their name and contact details, address, locations and regulated activities managed, and details of any job share arrangements.
Statement of financial viability
You will need to complete and upload a statement of your financial viability to satisfy Regulation 13 of the 2019 Care Quality Commission (Registration) regulations.
The first two parts are completed by the applicant and the third is completed by the applicant’s financial specialist.
Supporting information
Complete and upload the CQC Liability Insurance Supporting Information form, along with quotes or certificates for public and employer’s liability insurance.
ICO registration certificate
You will need to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which must be uploaded and must be in the name of the proposed registered provider.
HSE registration certificate
You will also need to register with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for your radiographic equipment, and you need to ensure that the proposed provider is named on the certificate.
Documentation
- You will need to provide:
- A staffing structure or organisational chart that shows what staff you will have
- A staff training matrix that lists all CQC required training for all team members
- A list of risk assessments you have or will undertake
- Consent policy and procedure
- Equality, diversity and human rights policy
- Governance policy
- Infection control policy
- Medicines management policy
- Recruitment policy
- Safeguarding policy and procedures.
All these documents must be dated and tailored to your practice and the services you will be providing.
Quality statements
The CQC requires evidence that all dental practices provide care that is safe and effective, and that they are responsive, caring and well-led. These are called the five key questions.
The CQC’s key lines of enquiry (KLOEs) have been replaced by quality statements. During the application process, you will be asked how you will meet the quality statements, expressed as a ‘we statement’. The quality statements all fit into one or more of the five key questions with some crossover and duplication.
A ‘safe’ practice has a learning culture, safeguarding, medicine optimisation, infection control and prevention, and involves people to manage risks. It also has safe systems, environments and staffing.
‘Effectiveness’ is measured through assessing needs, delivering evidence-based care, monitoring outcomes and thorough consent processes. The way that staff work together to support people to live healthier lives is crucial here.
The ‘caring’ aspect is demonstrated through kindness, compassion and dignity. People should be treated as individuals with independence, choice and control. The practice should respond to people’s immediate needs and pay attention to workforce wellbeing.
A ‘responsive’ service champions person-centred care with equity in access and outcomes. Care provision should be well-integrated and plan for the future. Providers should listen, deliver information and involve people.
For a practice to be ‘well-led’, it should have a shared direction and culture, with capable and compassionate leaders, governance, management and sustainability. There should be partnership and community with attention to learning and improvement. Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion is also important, with freedom to speak up about any issues.
Things to remember
Remember that the registration process is rigorous and can take some time. Registered managers are not responsible for managing the regulated activities until the CQC has confirmed the registration.
As the CQC registrations manager at Dentistry Compliance, my experience is that the process is currently taking a minimum of 16 weeks for applications to be processed.
The CQC will confirm the outcome of the registration process by email.
