Guide
When does a healthcare provider need to register with CQC?
What the Care Quality Commission regulates, how registration works, and which healthcare services in England must be registered.
Last reviewed 23 September 2026. Written by the CQC Clinics team. This is general information, not medical or legal advice.
In England, anyone who carries out a regulated activity must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This comes from the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the regulations made under it. Providing a regulated activity without registration is a criminal offence.
What CQC regulates
CQC regulates health and adult social care services in England, including hospitals, clinics, GP practices, dentists, care homes, home care, ambulance services and mental health services, whether they're run by the NHS, the private sector or charities.
It registers services, monitors and inspects them, publishes ratings and reports, and can take enforcement action when care isn't good enough. It doesn't handle individual complaints, although it wants to hear about people's experiences of care.
The regulated activities
There are 14 regulated activities. The ones most relevant to independent clinics are:
- treatment of disease, disorder or injury
- diagnostic and screening procedures
- surgical procedures
- transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely
- services in slimming clinics
- family planning services
- maternity and midwifery services
- termination of pregnancies
The others cover personal care, nursing care, accommodation with nursing or personal care, accommodation for people receiving treatment for substance misuse, assessment or treatment of people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, and the management of blood supply. Our guide to regulated activities explains what they mean in practice.
How registration works
A provider applies to CQC and must show it can meet the fundamental standards of quality and safety. When CQC registers it, the registration lists which regulated activities it can carry out, and at which locations. Most providers must also have a registered manager who is legally responsible for how the service is run.
Services that may not need to register
The regulations include exceptions, so not every health-related service needs CQC registration. Examples include:
- some treatment provided only by certain registered health professionals, depending on what the treatment is and where it's provided
- many non-surgical cosmetic treatments, such as some injectables and beauty treatments
- services outside England, which have their own regulators
Whether a particular service needs to register can be complicated. CQC publishes detailed guidance on the scope of registration. If you're unsure whether a clinic should be registered, ask it, or contact CQC.
What registration does and doesn't tell you
Registration tells you the provider is legally allowed to carry out specific activities at a location and is subject to CQC oversight. It isn't a recommendation, and it doesn't cover the individual professionals, who have their own registers. Read how to check a clinic's registration and how to choose a private clinic.