FPM members can access a comprehensive selection of policies, templates and toolkits on our flagship FPM Core software.

Policies Don't Improve Compliance, Understanding Them Does. Most healthcare organisations invest significant time developing, reviewing and distributing policies. Yet one of the biggest challenges in compliance management remains unanswered: how do you know staff have actually understood the policy they've been asked to read?

In this monthly report, FPM looks in detail at what the CQC have publicly reported from their GP practice inspections during October 2026, all anonymised. We highlight great performance and innovation for those rated Outstanding, and also the reasons some practice's individual ratings were scored Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. 

Managing training can be challenging. Staff often find themselves juggling multiple systems to monitor learning and compliance - but FPM Core simplifies this process by bringing e-learning and compliance management together in a single platform, helping organisations deliver training efficiently while maintaining visibility of staff development and compliance status.

In this report, you'll find the high level trends and themes from the last three months of our analysis of CQC GP Practice Inspection Reports. Here you can see what most commonly led to practices being awarded Outstanding, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate. You can also see the trends broken down by Key Question, and some thoughts on practical implications for GP practice and PCN managers.

Many employers will already be aware of the duty introduced in October 2024 requiring organisations to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. However, from 30 October 2026, the law is being strengthened further and employers will be expected to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment occurring in the workplace.

For Practice Managers, compliance leads, PCNs and GP Federations, finding the time to attend live training sessions can be difficult. That's where FPM Core helps. FPM Core's extensive webinar library gives healthcare organisations access to expert-led compliance, governance and management training whenever they need it, helping teams stay informed, build confidence and demonstrate ongoing professional development.

From early August to late September 2026, the NHS has experienced record operational pressures alongside major regulatory milestones and continued expansion of community‑based care. For practice managers, this period brings significant implications for workforce governance, service planning, and compliance.

The NHS is undergoing a significant structural shift. As decision-making becomes more consolidated and primary care faces financial and workforce pressures, organisations are being challenged to deliver more with fewer resources. For GP federations in England, scale is no longer simply a strategic advantage. It is becoming essential. By bringing practices together, NHS GP federations can unlock efficiencies that would be difficult for individual surgeries to achieve alone, supporting sustainable cost reduction without compromising patient care. 

In this monthly report, FPM looks in detail at what the CQC have publicly reported from their GP practice inspections during September 2026, all anonymised. We highlight great performance for those rated Outstanding, and also the reasons some practice's individual ratings were scored Requires Improvement, or Inadequate.