My two-partner practice was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in late 2019 and found to be good. A year later my partner retired and I became single-handed for a while. A reinspection was triggered: good again. Finding a new partner in early 2022, another reinspection was triggered: still good.

In summer 2022 we merged with several other practices to form a bigger partnership running several sites. After a tough first year, this has worked out better than we could have hoped for and it feels already as though things might always have been this way. But then I receive a bill for thousands for the privilege of being registered still: CQC believes I am still single-handed, despite having inspected the partnership that …