Approved Practice Settings
The Department of Health and the General Medical Council should review whether the resources available for regulating Approved Practice Setting are adequate and, if not, make arrangements for the provision of the same. Consideration should be given to empowering the General Medical Council to charge organisations a fee for approval.
- The government reported in February 2015 that 19 hospitals had been placed in special measures and additional doctors and nurses had been recruited (Culture Change in the NHS, DHSC, February 2015).
- An academic review in February 2023 stated that structural and legislative changes, including the Fit and Proper Person Test and CQC overhaul, had been delivered but cultural change was not fully embedded (Ten Years After Francis, Academic Research, February 2023).
- No further published evidence specific to the resourcing or fee-charging powers for Approved Practice Settings has been identified since 2015.
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted in Part
Response
Accepted in PartThe government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" in March 2013. Key reforms included a new Chief Inspector of Hospitals, strengthened Care Quality Commission inspection regime, a statutory duty of candour, and the fit and proper person test for NHS directors. Volume 2 (Cm 8754) contains the government's detailed responses to each of the 290 recommendations. See: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cd486ed915d63cc65d167/34658_Cm_8777_Vol_1_accessible.pdf
Progress Timeline
DHSC and NHS England implementation update provided to the Thirlwall Inquiry (April 2025). This is the government's own account of progress, submitted to the inquiry. Reviewed extent of implementation: Implemented - Closed. The Thirlwall Inquiry has noted action taken by the GMC following the conclusion of the Inquiry. Please see response to recommendation 167. The GMC Approved Practice Setting requirements were introduced in June 2014.
Published Evidence
Published assessments of progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Source type badge indicates whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.
Research published 2023 marking ten years since the Francis Report found mixed results. Structural and legislative changes largely delivered (duty of candour, FPPR, CQC overhaul, revalidation, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians). However, cultural change not fully embedded; understaffing, fear of speaking up, and poor complaint handling persist in parts of the NHS.
Government published "Culture Change in the NHS" (Cm 9009) reporting progress on all 290 recommendations. Key achievements: 19 hospitals placed in special measures; those trusts recruited 109 additional doctors and 1,805 additional nurses; 129 board-level changes made; excess avoidable deaths fell by 450 in less than a year.
Government published "Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) in two volumes. Vol 1 set out new actions; Vol 2 provided detailed response to each of the 290 recommendations. Approximately 204 of 290 recommendations were fully accepted.
GMC medical revalidation launched December 2012. All licensed doctors must demonstrate fitness to practise every five years through appraisal and evidence. Francis Report endorsed and recommended strengthening revalidation.