The CQC announced on Monday that out-of-hours providers registered from 1 April 2012, will be paying the same fee scales as dental and ambulance providers.

It was also revealed that this fee scale has reduced from £6,000 to £4,000 and from £12,000 to £10,000 after two fee consultations.

The difference in fees refers to the number of locations that services work from. The £4,000 fee covers four to 10 locations, £10,000 is for 11 to 50 sites.

But a date for when the consultation into GP practice fees will begin has still not been a set. A spokesman was unable to tell GP when this was due to be decided. GP practice registration was postponed until April 2013.

CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower said: ‘Our approach to fees is based on fairness and on raising only as much income as we need to cover the costs of regulation. We have listened to what providers have told us during both these consultation and have made changes to address concerns and make the fees that we charge transparent and as proportionate as possible.’

 

Number of locations          Fee payable

 

1                                              £800

 

2 to 3                                      £1,600

 

4 to 10                                    £4,000

 

11 to 50                                  £10,000

 

51 to 100                                £24,000

 

More than 100                       £48,000