Practices led by ethnic minority GPs are not “operating on a level playing field,” inspectors admitted yesterday.

The conclusion came after the publication by the Care Quality Commission of an investigation into claims that these practices face unfair discrimination. These practices are most likely to be operating in communities with high levels of deprivation and poor health and also to be led by GPs working alone, the CQC found.

It promised a series of actions to redress the problems, saying that in future its inspectors would try harder to take into account the context in which practices work. It also promised to look at how the wider health service could ensure single-handed practices do not suffer disadvantage.

Primary medical services chief inspector Dr Rosie Benneyworth said: “What this report finds is that ethnic minority-led GP practices are often not operating on a level playing field in terms of where they work, and the support available to them. While the system still has work to do around robust, meaningful data collection and ethnicity, we need to respond to what we do know. It is clear from the experience of the GPs who spoke to us that the challenges they face can be magnified by factors which are outside of their control and make it harder to evidence the quality of care that they offer.

“Everyone, wherever they are, has the right to safe, high-quality care and GPs should be supported appropriately to achieve this. We need to see a system response that acknowledges and reflects the context in which a practice operates – and is committed to understanding what this might mean for the way commissioners and regulators assess them.”

Dr Farah Jameel, chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee, said: “What this report has identified is that the current format of inspections does not appropriately take into account or seek to address structural inherent inequalities that policymakers have been responsible for. Worryingly, the report highlights how ethnic minorities were concerned about racial discrimination from regulators, and felt inspections were punitive rather than supportive, with harsh or unfair outcomes. The overriding conclusion is that the unique circumstances that many ethnic minority GPs practise within are not being adequately accounted for during the inspection process.”

She added: “We look forward to working with the CQC to ensure that these commitments are being followed through to support the profession, especially at this most challenging time, and to make regulation fit for purpose.”