One of the most pressing questions for new aesthetics practitioners is whether they have to be registered with the Care Quality Commission - (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

In Wales it’s the Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW), in Scotland the Care Inspectorate and the Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) is responsible for inspecting the availability and quality of health and social care services in Northern Ireland.

As with everything to do with aesthetics and the crazy disparities that exist between medics and non-medics, it’s not a cut and dry answer and each country has its own rules and requirements for medics.

I’m in England, Do I Need To Be CQC Registered?

In short, no. Clinics offering non-surgical aesthetics do not have to be registered with the CQC. However, it does depend on what treatments you offer, as some treatments fall within scope of the CQC because they are ‘regulated’ activity and classed as being medical.

What Treatments Fall Under CQC Scope?

There are of course many treatments that fall under the CQC scope which you won’t offer (such as breast implants), however the most relevant to you are

• PDO Threads

• Cogs

• Hair Restoration

Thread lifting carried out by someone who is not a healthcare professional, for example, a beautician is not regulated by the CQC. i know, I know. We don’t make the rules!

Does Botox Fall Under CQC scope?

If Botox is being used PURELY for cosmetic purposes it is not considered a regulated activity and thus there is no requirement to be CQC registered. Where Botulinum toxin treatments may fall within CQC scope is when it is being used in the treatment of disease, disorder or injury (TDDI). Therefore, if you’re offering Botox for the mitigation of chronic migraines or hyperhidrosis, these are considered disorders and are regulated activity.

Hyalase

Injecting Hyalase in the even of complication, also requires CQC registration unless you can prove it forms an insignificant part of the business.

Fillers

Fillers would only fall within CQC regulation if it was being used by a medic to treat a disorder, injury or disease.

But on the whole, any injectables with a sole purpose of enhancing your patient’s appearance is exempt from CQC registration.

What About Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

• In Wales, there is generally no requirement to be registered with the HIW, but if you offer Class 3B/4 laser and Intense Pulsed Light Sources, you will need to be registered with the HIW

• in Scotland, all medical practitioners and clinics offering non-surgical treatment are required to be registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).

• The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) regulates clinics providing laser or intense pulsed light cosmetic treatments. Clinics carrying out treatments such as Botox or dermal fillers are not required to register with RQIA."

Should I Register Anyway?

It certainly won’t be a disadvantage and is another distinction that separates you from a non-medic. It may also stand you in good stead for the future when (and if) licensing laws are introduced.

It’s very likely that minimum requirements for premises will be determined and assessing whether premises meet these requirements will be down to local authorities, or the likes of the CQC, HIW etc - or a mixture of both.

Establishing a working model that meets the current requirements will mean it’s simply business as usual for you and won’t feel like an onerous task when registration becomes mandatory.