These consequences are the high stakes of inspection. Calling for the removal or lowering of high stakes is not a call for an easy ride or a lowering of standards. High stakes drive unnecessary workload among leaders who, entirely rationally, want to avoid the cataclysmic consequences of a disappointing inspection. High stakes do not drive high standards; they only drive stress and workload. Read the impact assessment and find Sinead Mc Brearty’s working definition of ‘high stakes’ here