Half of practices in England have begun CQC registration

The CQC have announced that 5,430 GP practices, over 50% of those the regulator invited to begin registration earlier this month, have set up online accounts to start the process.

Currently, between 200 to 300 GPs are setting up their online accounts every day, a CQC spokesman said.

GP practices must be registered with the CQC by 1 April 2013 to remain entitled to provide NHS services. Setting up an online account is the first stage of the process.

Registration will take place in four one-month windows from September to December. Practices that have set up their accounts can choose in which window they wish to submit data required for registration.

However, practices who fail to do so by the end of August will be chased by their PCT or LMC and automatically allocated a registration window. The final registration window, which runs from 20 November to 20 December, is now completely full, the CQC has said.

Adrian Hughes, head of registration at the CQC, said: ‘Registration of NHS GPs and other providers of primary medical services is going well.

'We have had a strong and steady number of providers setting up their accounts and choosing their 28-day window in which to submit their application.

‘Towards the end of the month we will be in contact with those who have not yet set up their accounts, in preparation to support providers to submit their applications from September onwards.’