What Does CQC Registration Mean for Your Care?
If you are thinking of having a scan in London, you may see the letters CQC. CQC registration means a clinic is legally regulated by the Care Quality Commission. This is England's independent health and social care regulator. It confirms the clinic meets England's national standards for safety, staff skills, equipment and patient rights. In England, any clinic that provides diagnostic imaging, including X-rays, must be CQC registered to operate lawfully.
Key points
- The CQC is the independent regulator for all health and social care services in England.
- A CQC registered clinic must pass inspections in five key areas: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
- In England, any clinic doing diagnostic imaging must hold CQC registration by law.
- You can check any clinic's registration and inspection reports for free on the CQC website, from anywhere.
- ScanAlign operates under The Harley Street Hospital's CQC licence. So your scan is covered by the same regulatory standards as any NHS or large private hospital in the UK.
What is the Care Quality Commission?
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Its job is to make sure hospitals, GP surgeries, dental practices, care homes and private clinics in England all meet a core set of national standards. If a service falls short, the CQC has the power to give warnings, set conditions or close it down completely.
For you as a patient, CQC registration is a simple signal. It means the clinic has been assessed, is legally allowed to operate and is checked on an ongoing basis. Without it, a clinic in England cannot lawfully provide regulated activities such as diagnostic imaging.
What does the CQC inspect a private clinic on?
The CQC assesses every regulated service against five key questions. These apply equally to NHS hospitals and private clinics in England. Here is what each one means for you.
Are you protected from avoidable harm? This covers radiation safety, infection control and proper care of equipment.
Does the care achieve good outcomes? Staff qualifications, evidence-based protocols and proper reporting are all assessed.
Are you treated with dignity and respect? The CQC checks that staff involve you in decisions about your care.
Is the service organised around your needs? This includes accessibility, clear communication and a proper complaints process.
Is there strong leadership and governance? The CQC looks at how the service learns, improves and manages risk over time.
Is ScanAlign a CQC registered clinic?
Yes. ScanAlign, a CQC registered imaging clinic, operates under the CQC registration of The Harley Street Hospital. This means your scan is done in a facility that is inspected and regulated to the same standards as any major hospital in the UK.
| Trading name | ScanAlign (the trading name of CoreMed Solutions Ltd) |
|---|---|
| CQC registered provider | The Harley Street Hospital |
| Registered manager | Abbas Dhami (Specialist Diagnostic Radiographer) |
| CQC provider ID | 1-118aborz |
| View on CQC register | The Harley Street Hospital on the CQC website |
| Regulated activity | Diagnostic and screening procedures |
| Location | 19 Harley Street, London, W1G 9QJ |
ScanAlign provides diagnostic imaging using ionising radiation. Because of this, it must also follow IRMER (Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations). These rules add an extra layer of safety. They require every exposure to be clinically justified and kept as low as reasonably practicable. Learn more about ScanAlign.
How do you check if a clinic is CQC registered?
You can check any clinic's CQC status for free, in about two minutes, from home. Here is how.
Go to the CQC website
Visit www.cqc.org.uk and use the search bar on the homepage.
Search by name or postcode
Type in the clinic name, the provider name or the UK postcode. For ScanAlign, search for "The Harley Street Hospital".
Read the inspection report
The CQC page shows the provider's registration status, the date of the last inspection and ratings for each of the five key questions.
Look for the regulated activities
Check that "diagnostic and screening procedures" is listed. If a clinic offers scans but this activity is missing, it may not be lawfully registered for imaging.
If a private clinic in England cannot show you its CQC registration, that is a reason to ask more questions before you book.
What are your rights at a CQC registered clinic?
CQC registration gives you specific protections. You have the right to be treated with dignity, to be involved in decisions about your care, and to get clear information about what is happening and why. You also have the right to raise a concern or make a complaint, and to have it taken seriously.
At ScanAlign, you can read your rights as a patient before your appointment. If something is not right, our complaints procedure is clearly set out, and our patient support team is there to help at any stage.
Before you start a treatment, or change the one you are on, it is worth getting a detailed diagnosis. Knowing whether the cause sits in the pelvis, the legs or the spine changes what will actually help.
A note on types of scan. EOS imaging shows bones, joints and whole-body alignment in a standing position. For soft-tissue problems such as discs, ligaments or nerves, MRI is usually the better tool. Your treating specialist can advise which scan is right for you.
Want to know whether a standing whole-body scan is right for you before you travel to London? We offer a free, no-obligation video consultation with a specialist radiographer.
Book a free video consultationFrequently asked questions
CQC stands for the Care Quality Commission. It is the independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
Yes. Any clinic in England that carries out regulated activities, including diagnostic imaging, must be registered with the CQC. It is a legal requirement, not a choice.
In England, operating without CQC registration while carrying out regulated activities is a criminal offence. The CQC can prosecute the provider. As a patient, you would have fewer protections if something went wrong.
Visit www.cqc.org.uk and search by the provider or clinic name. The register is free and open to everyone.
Yes. ScanAlign operates under The Harley Street Hospital's CQC licence. The regulated activity is diagnostic and screening procedures, which covers our EOS imaging service.
After an inspection, the CQC gives a rating of outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate. The rating is based on the five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
IRMER stands for the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations. It is a separate set of rules that applies on top of CQC registration whenever a clinic uses X-rays or other ionising radiation. It requires every exposure to be clinically justified and optimised for safety.
No. You can refer yourself. We offer a free video consultation so a specialist radiographer can make sure the scan is suitable for you before you book.
The EOS system uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. This makes it one of the lowest-dose options available for full-body skeletal imaging.
Yes. Every CQC registered service must have a complaints procedure. You can also raise concerns directly with the CQC if you believe a provider is not meeting its standards.
Ready to book at our Harley Street clinic?
Start with a free video consultation from home. A specialist radiographer will discuss your situation and confirm whether a standing whole-body scan is suitable for you.
Book a free video consultationWritten by Abbas Dhami (Specialist Diagnostic Radiographer)
Sources
- Care Quality Commission. The five key questions we ask. cqc.org.uk
- Legislation.gov.uk. Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. legislation.gov.uk
- Legislation.gov.uk. The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (IRMER). legislation.gov.uk
This page is general information and not a diagnosis.
ScanAlign is the trading name of CoreMed Solutions Ltd and operates under The Harley Street Hospital's CQC licence.