SIC 86.22 7,135 enterprises in the UK
Specialist medical practice activities
What this covers (20 activity descriptions)
- Ear
- Eye specialist (private practice)
- Family planning centre providing medical treatment without accommodation
- Genito-urinary specialist (private practice)
- Gynaecologist (private practice)
- Homeopath (registered medical practitioner)
- Infectious disease specialist (private practice)
- Mental health specialist (private practice)
- Morbid anatomy specialist (private practice)
- Osteopath (registered medical practitioner)
- Physiologist
- Private consultants clinics
- Psychiatrist (private practice)
- Radiotherapy treatment centre
- Social medicine specialist (private practice)
- Specialist medical consultant (private practice)
- Specialist medical consultation and treatment
- Specialist physician and surgeon (private practice)
- Surgeon (private practice)
- Urologist (private practice)
What you must comply with
Unique to specialist medical practice activities
GMC Specialist Register entry
Consultants must hold entry on GMC Specialist Register via Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR). Required for NHS consultant appointments.
Controlled drugs licence (specialist practice)
Specialist practices (e.g. pain clinics, anaesthesia, psychiatry) frequently handle Schedule 2 controlled drugs. Enhanced record-keeping and storage requirements apply. Private prescribers must hold personal Home Office licence.
Clinical trial authorisation (where applicable)
Required for specialist centres conducting clinical trials of investigational medicinal products. Combined review via IRAS (MHRA + Research Ethics Committee). Major reform effective 28 April 2026 under SI 2025/538.
Applies to all medical and dental practice activities
CQC registration for regulated activities
Mandatory for all providers of regulated activities in England. Equivalent regulators: HIW (Wales), HIS (Scotland), RQIA (Northern Ireland).
DBS checks for healthcare staff
Enhanced DBS with barred list check required for all staff in regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults. Recheck recommended every 3 years. Access NI equivalent in Northern Ireland; Disclosure Scotland (PVG scheme) in Scotland.
Professional indemnity insurance
All registered providers must have appropriate indemnity arrangements. Individual practitioners may hold cover via professional body membership or separate policy.
Clinical waste disposal duty of care
Clinical waste is controlled waste. Must use licensed waste carriers and maintain consignment notes for hazardous waste. Separate regimes: SEPA (Scotland), NRW (Wales), DAERA (Northern Ireland).
Health data protection (special category data)
Health data is special category data under UK GDPR Article 9. Requires explicit consent or other lawful basis. Data Protection Impact Assessment required for high-risk processing.
Safeguarding duties (children and adults)
Duty to safeguard and promote welfare of children (s11 Children Act 2004). Duty to report safeguarding concerns for adults at risk (Care Act 2014). Must have designated safeguarding lead and policies.
Infection prevention and control
CQC Regulation 12 requires safe care including IPC measures. Must have IPC policy, designated IPC lead, hand hygiene protocols, and environmental cleanliness standards.
Employers' liability insurance
Required for all employers. Sole practitioners with no employees exempt.
Guidance for this activity
Running clinical trials in the UK
How to get MHRA authorisation for clinical trials of investigational medicinal products (CTIMPs). Covers combined review process, GCP requirements, safety reporting, informed consent, and upcoming 2026 regulatory changes.
Read guideHealthcare professional registration requirements
Registration requirements with GMC, NMC, GDC, GPhC, and HCPC for healthcare employers and professionals.
Read guideHealthcare premises and equipment requirements
CQC Regulation 15 premises and equipment requirements, radiation protection under IRR 2017, healthcare ventilation, medical gas systems, decontamination of reusable devices, accessibility obligations, and fire safety for healthcare premises.
Read guideHealthcare regulation across the UK nations
Comparison reference for healthcare regulation in England (CQC), Scotland (HIS and Care Inspectorate), Wales (HIW and CIW), and Northern Ireland (RQIA). Covers registration, inspection frameworks, workforce registration, and key differences between the four nations.
Read guideMHRA authorisation for medicines and medical devices
How to obtain MHRA authorisation for medicines and medical devices in the UK. Covers Marketing Authorisations, wholesale dealer licences, manufacturer licences, and medical device registration including UKCA vs CE marking.
Read guideClinical governance and quality improvement
Clinical governance framework for healthcare providers covering patient safety culture, clinical audit, incident investigation, duty of candour, complaints handling, and continuous quality improvement. Links governance activities to the CQC Well-led domain and explains why effective governance protects both patients and your organisation.
Read guideHealthcare provider annual compliance checklist
Annual checklist of recurring compliance obligations for CQC-registered healthcare providers covering registration, workforce, clinical governance, premises, data protection, and policy reviews.
Read guideRegister with the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Complete step-by-step guide to CQC registration for healthcare providers in England, including what activities require registration, application fees, fit and proper person requirements, and the full registration process timeline.
Read guideMedicines and controlled drugs compliance
Legal requirements for handling, storing and administering medicines including controlled drugs in healthcare settings.
Read guideSafeguarding and mental capacity in healthcare
Legal duties for safeguarding vulnerable adults and making decisions for people who lack mental capacity.
Read guideMedical devices: placing on the GB market
How to comply with the UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002 when placing medical devices on the Great Britain market. Covers device classification, UKCA marking transition timelines, MHRA registration, essential requirements, clinical evidence, conformity assessment by device class, post-market surveillance, and Unique Device Identification.
Read guideInfection prevention and control for healthcare providers
How to meet infection prevention and control (IPC) requirements under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice (Hygiene Code). Covers standard precautions, environmental cleaning, outbreak management, antimicrobial stewardship, and CQC inspection expectations.
Read guideHealthcare and social care regulation (CQC)
CQC registration requirements for health and social care providers in England, including detailed guidance on regulated activities, costs, and devolved nation alternatives.
Read guideNHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit compliance
How to complete the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) annual self-assessment if you handle NHS patient data. Covers Version 7 requirements, evidence gathering, submission process, and achieving Standards Met status.
Read guideStart a clinical laboratory service
How to set up and operate a clinical laboratory in the UK. Covers UKAS accreditation, CQC registration, HTA licensing, MHRA requirements, professional registration, and quality standards for medical testing services.
Read guideSocial care registration and regulators
Guide to registering as a social care provider across all four UK nations. Covers CQC registration in England, Care Inspectorate in Scotland, CIW in Wales, and RQIA in Northern Ireland — including fees, registered manager requirements, and inspection frameworks.
Read guideData protection for healthcare providers
How healthcare providers must handle patient data under UK GDPR, including special category health data requirements, Caldicott Principles, the common law duty of confidentiality, and record retention requirements.
Read guideMHRA licensing for medicines and medical devices
MHRA licensing requirements for manufacturing, distributing, and importing medicines and medical devices in the UK.
Read guideAI medical device compliance
MHRA requirements for AI as a Medical Device (AIaMD) and Software as a Medical Device (SaMD). Covers classification, registration, technical documentation, quality management, post-market surveillance, and data protection for health AI.
Read guideMedical device compliance checklist
Verification checklist for medical device manufacturers and UK Responsible Persons. Covers device classification, conformity assessment, technical documentation, UKCA/CE marking, MHRA registration, PMS system, vigilance reporting, labelling, and ongoing obligations.
Read guide