Challenge
GP practices in Lancashire and South Cumbria needed clearer, practical guidance on statutory building compliance. Especially when buildings were owned by the practice or leased from a third-party landlord.
Lancashire & South Cumbria ICB got in touch and asked us to help. We led an initial pilot that indicated that practices were not always clear about which certificates were required, what compliant evidence should contain, or how to respond to recommendations and remedial actions. At the same time, Lancashire & South Cumbria ICB wanted greater visibility of compliance activity and potential estate-related risks across its primary care footprint.
Solution
We developed the Compliance Assurance Review Programme as an educational, supportive and collaborative way to help practices understand their building compliance responsibilities. The programme ran for 18 months and reviewed 12 key building compliance areas across more than 200 GP practice sites.
Education and engagement were central to our approach. Our compliance experts delivered webinars in partnership with the ICB and the Local Medical Committee to explain the importance of statutory compliance. We also clarified practice responsibilities and encouraged active participation in the programme. Practices were supported with guidance, frequently asked questions, access to webinar resources and opportunities to seek further assistance throughout the review.
We gave each participating practice a clear report showing its compliance position. This included detail about key findings, common reasons for missing or invalid evidence, and practical next steps. We also combined the findings for the ICB through regular reporting and review discussions, helping the programme team and ICB colleagues agree priorities together.
For example, a practice could use its report to check which certificates were missing, identify any expired inspection records and understand whether an action sat with the practice or landlord.
Outcomes
The programme helped practices understand what compliance evidence they needed to keep and what needed updating. We also sent follow-ups to practices offering post-review support and an open invitation to ask questions or get help from us. This made building compliance easier to understand and gave practices more confidence to act on recommendations.
For the ICB, the review gave a clearer picture of compliance activity, evidence gaps and recurring themes across the primary care estate. Quarterly reporting and collective reviews supported better conversations about risk, clearer priorities for future support and stronger assurance across the area.
Following the programme, we saw improved GP engagement and positive feedback from ICB colleagues.
The programme demonstrates the value of partnership-led compliance assurance:
- For GP practices: greater awareness, clearer responsibilities and practical support with statutory compliance.
- For the ICB: improved visibility of estate compliance activity and evidence to support proportionate, informed decision-making.
- For the wider NHS: a transferable approach combining technical assurance with education, engagement and practice-level support.
This aligns with wider NHS principles that premises assurance should help leaders make informed estate decisions, demonstrate that appropriate safety arrangements are in place and prioritise improvement effectively.
The programme turned compliance assurance into a shared learning opportunity—helping GP practices better understand and manage their buildings while giving the ICB supportive, evidence-based insight across the local primary care estate.
