Scope of registration

Section 8(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 describes a regulated activity as “an activity involving, or connected with, the provision of health or social care”.

The activities listed in Schedule 1 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 are the regulated activities specified for the purposes of the Act.

If you carry on any of the regulated activities specified in Schedule 1 in England, you must register unless an exception or exemption applies.

There are separate arrangements for regulating health and social care in other UK countries. CQC does not normally regulate providers based outside England that offer care and treatment to patients in England. If you are registered in England and you also intend to provide a service to people living in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, we strongly advise you to contact the respective regulatory authority for that country to check whether you also need to register with them.

If a health or care service provider from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland occasionally delivers services in England (for example, an ambulance service), we will take a proportionate and reasonable approach to whether they should also be registered with us.