How to check if a private clinic is CQC registered

In England, most clinics that diagnose or treat health conditions must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care. Checking registration takes a couple of minutes, and it's worth doing before you book with a clinic you haven't used before.

Step 1: Search for the clinic

You can search the CQC website by name or postcode, or use our clinic checker, which searches the independent clinics on the CQC register by clinic name, company name or website.

If you can't find it straight away, try:

• the company or provider name, which is often on the clinic's website footer or terms and conditions
• the clinic's postcode
• a shorter version of the name, without words like "clinic" or "Ltd"

Step 2: Check it's the right location

CQC registers a provider (the organisation) and each location where it provides care. A provider with several clinics will have a separate entry for each location. Make sure the address matches the clinic you're going to, not just the company's head office.

Step 3: Check what it's registered to do

Each registration lists the regulated activities the provider can carry out at that location, such as "treatment of disease, disorder or injury", "diagnostic and screening procedures" or "surgical procedures". If a clinic offers surgery but isn't registered for surgical procedures, ask why. Our guide to regulated activities explains each one.

Step 4: Look at the rating and reports

If CQC has assessed the service, its page shows an overall rating and the date it was published, with links to inspection reports. Many independent clinics, especially newer ones, don't have a rating yet. That doesn't mean they're unregistered. Read what CQC ratings mean.

Registered providers must display their CQC rating, where they have one, at their premises and on their website.

Step 5: Check the professionals too

CQC registers services, not individual clinicians. Check the person treating you on their professional register:

• doctors: General Medical Council (GMC)
• nurses and midwives: Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• psychologists, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals: Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• pharmacists and pharmacies: General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

What if I can't find the clinic?

Not finding a clinic doesn't automatically mean something is wrong. It may be registered under a different name, or it may not need to register. For example, some services provided only by certain health professionals, and many non-surgical cosmetic treatments, fall outside CQC registration. Read when a provider needs to register with CQC.

If a clinic should be registered and you can't find it, ask the clinic directly for its CQC registration details. You can also contact CQC if you're concerned a service is operating without registration.

CQC only regulates services in England. In Scotland, independent clinics are regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland; in Wales by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales; and in Northern Ireland by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).

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