Before you start
Registration is a document exercise before it is anything else.
Most first-time applicants are refused or delayed not because the care they plan is unsafe, but because a required document was missing, generic, or contradicted another one. The two things CQC checks hardest are that your documents are consistent with your statement of purpose, and that they describe your service rather than a template someone forgot to fill in.
The 23 documents CQC asks a private healthcare clinic for
The Care Quality Commission publishes a named list of supporting documents that must accompany a new provider registration application, and states that it will reject an application that arrives without them. Below is that list as it applies to a private healthcare clinic, with an honest mark against each one showing what the Private Healthcare Clinic CQC Application Pack gives you and what only you can provide.
| What CQC asks for | What it has to show | In the Private Healthcare Clinic Application Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Statement of purpose | A legal requirement. Sets out your aims and objectives, your regulated activities, each location, the type of service and the needs of the people who use it. | In the pack
|
| Business plan and financial forecast | Shows CQC that your service will be financially stable and well managed, and how you will meet the needs of the people who use it. | In the pack
|
| Financial viability statement | A letter from a financial specialist stating whether, in their opinion, you have the finances to run the service described in your statement of purpose. | You obtain this This has to come from your accountant, bank or another independent financial services firm - it is not something we can write for you, and CQC will not accept it from the applicant. Ask them for a signed letter on their letterhead that states in terms whether, in their opinion, your organisation is financially viable, and that discloses any concerns rather than omitting them. Send them your business plan and financial forecast first; most firms need two to three weeks. |
| Public and employer liability insurance | Evidence that you hold insurance and suitable indemnity arrangements covering death, injury, loss or damage to property and other financial risk. | Pack + your input
You send CQC the quote or certificate from your insurer. We supply the insurance and indemnity policy that sits behind it. |
| Recruitment policy and procedures | Must show your recruitment stages (advert, application, shortlisting, interview, identity, references, DBS, offer) and how you meet Regulation 19, fit and proper persons employed. | In the pack
|
| Safeguarding policy and procedures | Must cover the types and signs of abuse, how concerns are reported, your approach to restraint, and how you meet Regulation 13. | In the pack
|
| Complaints policy | Must show how you handle complaints effectively, in line with Regulation 16. | In the pack
|
| Consent policy and procedures | Shows CQC you understand how to obtain consent for care and treatment, including where a person may lack capacity. | In the pack
|
| Governance and quality assurance policies | Shows you have effective systems to run a well-led service and to assure the quality of the care you provide. | In the pack
|
| Infection prevention and control policy | Must show how you meet the Health and Social Care Act 2008 code of practice and Regulation 12, covering PPE, transmission-based precautions, waste, cleaning and decontamination. | In the pack
|
| Medicines management and prescribing policy | Must relate to your type of service and cover safe administration, storage, controlled drugs, errors and omissions, supply, disposal and record keeping. | In the pack
|
| Business continuity plan | Shows how the service keeps running safely during and after a disruption. | In the pack
|
| Equality, diversity and human rights policy and procedures | Shows how you meet your Equality Act 2010 duties for the people who use the service and for your staff. | In the pack
|
| Staff training plan | What your induction covers, what training new staff receive, and the mandatory training your service requires - a plan, not just a policy. | In the pack
|
| Service user guide | The plain-English guide telling people who use your service what to expect, what it costs, and how to complain. | In the pack
|
| Environment risk assessment | A scored assessment of how the premises themselves could cause harm to patients, visitors, staff and contractors. | In the pack
|
| Fire risk assessment | The assessment required in its own right by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for your premises. | In the pack
|
| Legionella risk assessment | Assessment and control of legionella risk in the water system at your premises. | In the pack
|
| Fit and proper persons evidence (directors) | Not on CQC’s supporting-documents list, but Regulation 5 evidence for every director is checked during assessment. Providers are routinely asked for it. | In the pack
|
| Floor plan | A plan of each location showing the rooms and how the space is used. | You obtain this Produce a simple scaled plan of the location. It does not need to be drawn by an architect. |
| Evidence of legal occupancy | Proof that you are entitled to occupy the premises you are registering. | You obtain this Your signed lease, licence or title deeds. |
| Gas and electrical safety certificates | Current certificates for the premises you are registering. | You obtain this Obtain from a registered gas engineer and a qualified electrician. Book these early - they are a common cause of delay. |
| Planning permission | Where the use of the premises requires it. | You obtain this From your local planning authority, where a change of use applies. |
Requirement names and descriptions are taken from the Care Quality Commission's own guidance, Supporting documents: new provider registration applications, last checked August 2026. CQC updates its registration guidance from time to time, so check the current list before you submit. Some requirements depend on your premises and the regulated activities you apply for.
Also part of the application
These are not supporting documents, but the application cannot complete without them. Start them early - the DBS check in particular has a long lead time.
Must be submitted at the same time as the provider application. CQC cannot process yours without it.
For the registered manager and the nominated individual. Apply for these before anything else.
CQC expects the location to exist and be usable, not planned.
Choose them precisely. Applying for the wrong activity is a common and costly error.
Private Healthcare Clinic CQC Application Pack — £450.00
The 27 documents behind every requirement above that we can supply, written to our controlled house style and downloadable the moment you order. Need everything to run the service afterwards too? The Complete pack (£1750.00) includes all of this and the rest of the library.
Questions providers ask
What documents do I need to send with a private healthcare clinic CQC registration application?
CQC publishes a set list of supporting documents. For a private healthcare clinic that is 23 items, including your statement of purpose, business plan and financial forecast, a financial viability statement from an accountant, insurance evidence, and your recruitment, safeguarding, complaints, consent, governance, infection prevention and control, medicines and business continuity policies, plus a staff training plan, a service user guide and your premises risk assessments. The full list, and what each document must show, is on this page.
What happens if I miss one?
CQC states that it will reject an application that does not include all of the required supporting documents. You then have to start the submission again, which is the single most avoidable cause of delay in registering.
Which of these can I not buy from you?
5 of them. Your floor plan, evidence of legal occupancy, and gas and electrical safety certificates have to come from you, your landlord or a qualified engineer. We list them here anyway, with a note on how to get each one, because leaving them out is how applications get rejected. A further 1 are part-covered: we give you the policy and the template, you add the insurance certificate and your accountant's signature.
What is the difference between the Application Pack and the Complete pack?
The Application Pack (£450.00) is exactly what CQC asks for at registration and nothing else - 27 documents. The Complete pack (£1750.00) is that plus every policy, standard operating procedure, risk assessment and HR document you need to run the service afterwards and evidence it at inspection. Buy the first to get registered, the second to stay compliant.
How long does CQC registration take?
Expect a few months rather than weeks. Preparation alone takes several weeks, and CQC will return an application or refuse registration if you cannot agree a date for assessment activities within 28 days of being contacted. Having every supporting document ready before you submit is the part of the timetable you actually control.
Are the documents editable?
Yes. Every one is a Word (.docx) file with clearly marked placeholders for your organisation name, registered manager, dates and local arrangements. Complete them for your service and have them approved before you submit.
Other clinic types
Not your service? See the CQC application checklist for another setting: