Managing compliance in a GP practice can feel overwhelming. Between CQC inspections, NHS contractual requirements, GDPR obligations, and countless other regulatory demands, it's easy to lose track of what you need to focus on and when. If you're a Practice Manager trying to get a handle on your compliance responsibilities, or preparing for an inspection, this guide will help you see the bigger picture.
Through systematic research of regulatory requirements, we've identified how GP practice compliance naturally organises into 11 clear, non-overlapping domains. This framework gives you a structured approach to managing your compliance obligations without gaps or unnecessary duplication.
GP Compliance Library
If you like this article you'll love our more detailed GP Compliance Library. For the first time, GP practices can get a clear, step-by-step answer to the question: “Exactly what do I need to be compliant?”
Covers 11 compliance domains – from Access & Inclusion to Safeguarding Over 400 documents and guides with model policies & practical checklists Designed to support new and experienced PMs alike
💡 Free until September 2025: All learning guides are available with a free account. (Paid plans unlock the compliance documents themselves and AI tools.)
This is the first complete, practical guide to GP practice compliance - built to make compliance clear, manageable, and stress-free.
The Compliance Landscape
GP practices in England operate within a complex regulatory environment that draws from multiple sources. You're working with CQC regulations and inspection frameworks, NHS England contractual requirements, statutory obligations like the Health and Safety at Work Act and UK GDPR, professional body requirements, and local authority obligations.
Each of these sources has its own language, priorities, and expectations. What makes compliance challenging isn't just the volume of requirements - it's that they often overlap, reference each other, and need to work together as an integrated system rather than standalone policies.
A structured approach helps practices manage these requirements more effectively by providing a clear framework for organising policies, assigning responsibilities, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. When compliance is well-organised, it reduces administrative burden and improves outcomes for both staff and patients.
A Framework for GP Practice Compliance
Through research into regulatory sources and practical implementation experience, we've identified how compliance requirements naturally group into 11 key domains. Each domain represents a distinct area of regulatory focus with its own requirements, but they're designed to work together as a complete compliance system.
Here are the 11 domains that cover the full scope of GP practice compliance:
1. Access & Inclusion
Ensuring your practice is accessible to all patients, including those with disabilities. This covers the Equality Act 2010, Accessible Information Standard, reasonable adjustments, and creating an inclusive environment for all patients and their families.
2. Clinical Governance
Systems for clinical quality, safety, and continuous improvement. This includes clinical audit, significant event analysis, risk management, and the duty of candour - the foundation that shows the CQC you have embedded quality and safety systems.
3. Health & Safety
Workplace safety for staff and visitors under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. From fire safety and manual handling to lone working and incident reporting, this domain ensures your practice is a safe place to work and visit.
4. HR & Workforce
Employment practices, training, and staff development that comply with employment law and professional requirements. This covers recruitment, performance management, workplace culture, and ensuring all staff maintain appropriate professional registration.
5. Infection Control
Preventing and managing infections in your practice according to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice. This includes hand hygiene, decontamination, waste management, and water safety.
6. Information Governance
Protecting patient data and managing information securely under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This covers everything from data sharing agreements to breach management and the annual Data Security and Protection Toolkit.
7. Medicines Management
Safe handling, storage, and prescribing of medicines according to MHRA regulations and controlled drugs legislation. This includes prescription security, cold chain management, and governance of repeat prescribing.
8. Organisational Resilience
Business continuity and emergency preparedness to ensure your practice can maintain essential services during disruptions. This covers everything from cyber incident response to financial risk management and maintaining service quality during challenging circumstances.
9. Patient Experience
Managing feedback, complaints, and patient engagement according to the NHS Constitution and CQC patient experience standards. This includes complaints procedures, patient participation groups, and digital service delivery.
10. Premises & Equipment
Maintaining safe, compliant facilities and equipment according to building regulations and equipment safety standards. This covers premises management, electrical safety, equipment maintenance, and environmental health requirements.
11. Safeguarding
Protecting vulnerable children and adults according to the Children Act 2004 and Care Act 2014. This includes safeguarding procedures, Prevent duties, chaperone policies, and staff training on recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns.
Each domain contains several specific areas that require policies and procedures. The domains are designed to be comprehensive - covering all the compliance requirements a typical GP practice faces - while avoiding overlap between different areas.
Why This Framework Matters for Your Practice
A structured approach to compliance offers several important benefits:
Reduces risk of regulatory gaps - By organising requirements into clear domains, you can systematically review what you have in place and identify any missing elements before they become problems during an inspection.
Improves CQC inspection readiness - CQC inspectors look for evidence that you have robust systems in place. A well-organised compliance framework demonstrates that you take governance seriously and have thought systematically about your obligations.
Streamlines policy management - Instead of having policies scattered across different systems or filing cabinets, a domain-based approach helps you organise documentation logically and keep related policies together.
Clarifies staff responsibilities - When compliance is well-organised, it's easier to assign clear ownership for different areas and ensure staff understand their roles and responsibilities.
Enables systematic review and updates - Regulatory requirements change regularly. A structured framework makes it easier to review and update your compliance approach as new requirements emerge or existing ones change.
The framework also helps you understand how different compliance areas connect with each other. For example, your information governance policies need to align with your clinical governance procedures, and your health and safety requirements intersect with your premises management obligations.
Taking the Next Steps
Understanding the 11-domain framework is an important first step, but it's just the beginning. Each domain requires specific policies, procedures, and regular review processes to ensure ongoing compliance.
Successful implementation involves understanding both regulatory requirements and practical application - how compliance requirements translate into day-to-day operations, staff responsibilities, and quality improvement activities. This means considering how compliance processes integrate with clinical workflows, administrative procedures, and patient interactions.
Many practices find it helpful to start by reviewing their current approach against these 11 domains to identify priority areas for attention. Some domains may already be well-developed in your practice, while others might need more immediate focus.
Our detailed guides provide step-by-step implementation support, document templates, and practical tools for each domain. From policy frameworks to staff training materials, we've developed resources that make compliance manageable for busy practice teams while ensuring you meet all regulatory requirements.
Explore Each Domain in Detail
Ready to dive deeper into specific compliance areas? We've created detailed guides for each domain:
Access & Inclusion - Equality Act compliance and accessible services
Clinical Governance - Quality, safety, and continuous improvement
Health & Safety - Workplace safety and risk management
HR & Workforce - Employment practices and staff development
Infection Control - Prevention and management of infections
Information Governance - Data protection and information security
Medicines Management - Safe prescribing and medicines handling
Organisational Resilience - Business continuity and emergency preparedness
Patient Experience - Feedback, complaints, and engagement
Premises & Equipment - Facilities and equipment management
Safeguarding - Protecting vulnerable patients
Conclusion
GP practice compliance doesn't have to be overwhelming when you have the right framework to organise your approach. These 11 domains provide a comprehensive structure that covers all the regulatory requirements you need to address while avoiding duplication and confusion.
Whether you're preparing for a CQC inspection, implementing new policies, or simply trying to get better organised, this framework gives you a clear roadmap for systematic compliance management.
Our comprehensive implementation guides provide the detailed support you need to turn this framework into practical, working compliance systems for your practice. From document templates to implementation roadmaps, we've developed resources that make compliance manageable and effective.
Ready to get started? Access our detailed implementation guides with step-by-step pathways, document packages, and practical tools for each compliance domain. Sign up for access to our comprehensive compliance resources and transform how your practice manages regulatory requirements.
This article provides general guidance on GP practice compliance. It reflects our understanding as of the publication date and does not constitute legal advice. Practices should consult with relevant professional bodies and refer to the latest official guidance from the CQC, NHS England, ICO, and other regulatory authorities for specific circumstances.