This protocol is intended to support staff from the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as they work together to help protect patients and promote high standards of medical practice.
This guidance builds on the memorandum of understanding to provide an operational model for staff of both organisations. In several areas of work in the GMC and the CQC, information gathered by one organisation can help the work of the other. This applies to strategic and communications information as well as operational information. The protocol is part of a suite of guidance and tools, called the joint working framework.
It outlines:
- key contacts in each organisation
- when and how CQC and GMC will share and record information, including examples of when and how information should be shared across all relevant directorates in both organisations.
The protocol is designed to work alongside existing processes in each organisation and does not exclude working with other organisations.
Key contacts at CQC and GMC
The CQC and the GMC have different structures. To make sure there is always a clear point of contact, each organisation has a single email address for sharing information. You should use these email addresses both to request information and to share concerns.
The CQC enquiries email ensures that queries are directed to the inspector via the customer relationship management system specific to a particular service, or the relevant member of CQC staff.
The GMC email account is checked regularly to ensure that requests and concerns are transferred to the appropriate part of the organisation as quickly as possible. Staff will receive an acknowledgement for their email. Both organisations will monitor the exchange of information to enable us to evaluate outcomes.
If you think something is urgent and presents an immediate risk to patient safety, you should escalate the issue to the nominated contact in your own organisation and the counterpart organisation without delay, following the process under emerging and urgent concerns. For details of escalation contacts see Annex 1.
When and how we share information
There are six ways that we share information that are described in the following section:
- 1. Routine data sharing (digital sharing of data and intelligence)
- 2. Emerging and urgent concerns (non-routine/ad hoc bilateral sharing): advice for CQC inspectors and GMC advisers
- 3. Local regulatory alignment (liaison)
- 4. Risk and quality summits (including JSOGS)
- 5. Strategic collaboration (including communications)
Annexes
- Annex 1: Escalation contacts. This annex is not available in the public version of the protocol.
- Annex 2: Information sharing with the GMC
- Annex 3: Information sharing with CQC
- Annex 4: Potential illegal practice
Snippet for joint working with GMC
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Joint operational protocol between CQC and the General Medical Council