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Through its Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has awarded CQC £169,000 to support innovation by GPs working to reduce health inequalities in areas of deprivation.

Working closely with Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network, the project will explore the innovative ways that GPs have tackled health inequalities, as well as any challenges around delivery and having their work recognised by the regulatory process.

Between September 2021 and March 2022, we will be working with practices to hear about their experiences or innovation and regulation. What we learn from this project will also help inform CQC’s regulatory policy and be the basis for a new toolkit to help practices develop and evidence their own innovative projects to reduce health inequalities.

Responding to the award, Dr Rosie Benneyworth, Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care recently said:

“Innovation is central to good, responsive healthcare that focuses on the needs of people who use services.

“The ingenuity and agility of clinicians and professionals have been fundamental to how the whole health and social care system has responded to COVID-19. However, we also know that GPs and their practice teams have long been striving to find new and effective ways of working locally that address health inequalities in their area.

“This project gives us the opportunity to support innovation by working with providers to understand the environment that made innovative ways of working possible, and how regulation can properly recognise the positive impact that they have. Importantly, it also means that we can champion and share the excellent work that is already underway so others can develop their own initiatives – in full knowledge that the regulatory system will recognise and appreciate the significance of their efforts to reduce health inequalities.

“We are grateful to the Regulators' Pioneer Fund for making this project possible and our colleagues at the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network, who will be working alongside us.”

This project has been made possible by a grant from the £3.7 million Regulators' Pioneer Fund launched by The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The fund enables UK regulators and local authorities to help create a UK regulatory environment that unleashes innovation and makes the UK the best place to start and grow a business.

Business Minister Lord Callanan recently said:

“Good regulation should spur entrepreneurship, not stand in its way, and this project will help keep the UK at the cutting-edge of innovation.

“Supporting innovation by GPs to reduce health inequalities in areas of deprivation, through better regulatory recognition and sharing of best practice, could pave the way for exciting developments in the sector, bringing benefits to practice teams and people using services alike.”