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Yes, if you provide any of the activities listed as regulated activities under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, you must register with the CQC before you begin providing that activity.

The CQC requires private clinics to meet the fundamental standards set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, which cover person centred care, safe care, staffing, premises, complaints, and governance.

Clinical governance is the system by which a clinic takes responsibility for continuously improving the quality and safety of its services and for maintaining standards of care. For a small independent clinic, it means having documented processes for audit, significant event review, staff development, evidence based practice, and patient feedback.

A registered manager must be a fit and proper person who has the skills, experience, and qualifications to manage the regulated activity, must be nominated in the registration application, and must be approved by the CQC before they can legally manage the service.

A private clinic must have documented policies and procedures covering all areas the CQC will inspect: infection prevention and control, medicines management, consent, safeguarding, significant events, complaints, staff recruitment, and health and safety, all maintained as live documents and reviewed regularly.

CQC inspections of independent clinics may be announced or unannounced. Preparation means keeping evidence continuously current rather than assembling it before an inspection — governance records, staff files, audit results, and IPC documentation should all be accessible and up to date at all times.