The answer really depends on how much work you do on an ongoing basis to comply with CQC and what system you use to record your actions.
A survey by Pulse reported that practices had spent £10,000 on consultants just to prepare for CQC and cancelling up to 15 consultations on the day of the inspection.
You should have a system that ensures that most information is to hand at all times. You will always get behind in this as you have other daily priorities, but catching up and preparation should not take more than a day or two at the most.
If you have to employ external help, budget for around £500 to £1,000 at the most, which should focus on prioritising issues and a pre-inspection review of what evidence is available and how to address gaps in evidence.
Level of preparedness |
Cost of your system |
External consultancy |
Staff time |
Preparing evidence |
Stress Level |
| Totally unprepared | £250 to £500 | Up to 10,000+ | 20 hours | 30 hours | ***** |
| Reasonably well prepared | £250 to £500 | Up to £5,000 | 15 hours | 20 hours | **** |
| Mostly prepared | £500 to £750 | Up to £2,500 | 10 Hours | 15 hours | **** |
| Fully prepared | £500 to £1,000 | None | None | 10 hours | *** |
| everythingCQC Evidence System |
£600 pa | None | None | 2-3 hours | ** |