CQC registration for your weight loss clinic, made simple
A weight loss clinic in England that prescribes must register with CQC first: for services in slimming clinics when a doctor prescribes in a physical clinic, or for treatment of disease, disorder or injury when the prescribing is online or led by a nurse or other listed professional. For CQC registration of your weight loss clinic, we prepare your applications, GLP-1 prescribing policies and interview from £1,995 for an in-person clinic, with a separate online package, then stay with you until CQC makes its decision.
Which CQC activity a weight loss clinic needs
Services in slimming clinics is a regulated activity of its own: advice or treatment in a slimming clinic by, or under the supervision of, a doctor, including prescribing medicines for weight reduction. CQC applies it only when all three hold: medicines are prescribed for weight reduction, patients are seen in a clinic that is a physical location, and a doctor provides or supervises the care.
When a doctor treats obesity anywhere other than a clinic, for example through an online service, CQC applies treatment of disease, disorder or injury instead. The same activity covers a nurse, paramedic or other listed health care professional who treats obesity, in a clinic or online. Providing either without registration is an offence under section 10 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Read CQC’s scope guidance on services in slimming clinicsA clinic and an online service
If you see some patients in your clinic and treat others only online, you are likely to need both activities: services in slimming clinics for the clinic, and treatment of disease, disorder or injury for the online work. CQC asks providers to contact it if they are not sure, and we settle the split with you on the free scoping call.
Pharmacist prescribers and online pharmacies
A service where only pharmacists prescribe is outside CQC’s treatment activity, and the GPhC regulates pharmacists and pharmacies instead. Once your doctors or nurses prescribe and a pharmacy dispenses, you register with CQC, and the pharmacy will expect the GPhC’s online safeguards to be in place before it supplies.
Needs CQC registration
- A doctor prescribing weight loss medicines to patients seen in your clinic
- A doctor prescribing GLP-1 or other weight loss medicines online or by video
- A nurse or other listed professional prescribing for weight loss, in a clinic or online
- A listed professional supervising treatment with a prescribed weight loss medicine
- A slimming clinic that also treats other conditions, which needs treatment as well
Not regulated on its own
- Diet plans written or authorised by a doctor, with no prescribing for weight loss
- Prescribing by pharmacists alone, as they are not on the health care professional list
- Dietitian-led services working alone, as dietitians are not on the list either
- Coaching and lifestyle programmes with no doctor, nurse or other listed professional treating
Everything you need for CQC registration of a weight loss clinic
Written for your service, not a template pack. Stage 1 gets your application in, then Stage 2 carries you through assessment and the interview.
Your application pack
Required from every provider
- Statement of Purpose
- Safeguarding policy and procedure
- Medicines management and prescribing policy, including weight loss medicines and transporting patient medication
- Infection prevention and control policy
- Recruitment policy
- Complaints policy
- Consent policy and procedure
- Equality, diversity and human rights policy
- Governance and quality assurance policies
Extra for clinics
- Financial viability statement guidance, completed with your accountant, where CQC needs one
- Provider and registered manager forms, completed with you
Extra if you work online
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria policy, setting out who you will and will not treat
- Medical emergency policy
- The additional form for online primary care providers, completed with you
Assessment, interview and follow-up
- Additional documents CQC may ask for during assessment, prepared and kept ready
- For a doctor-led clinic: business continuity plan, freedom to speak up policy, significant events policy, medical emergency policy, risk assessments, staff training matrix and staffing structure
- Registered manager interview question and answer pack
- Two-hour mock interview with written feedback
- Follow-up with CQC on your behalf until a decision is made
- Appeal support if your application is challenged
What a weight loss service has to prove
The extra evidence a weight loss application needs, so we make sure each piece is in place before you submit.
The right activity for where patients are seen
Services in slimming clinics only fits a physical clinic, so an online or video service applies for treatment of disease, disorder or injury instead. Your forms, Statement of Purpose and policies must then describe where patients are seen in the same words.
Weight and BMI checked independently
GPhC guidance for online pharmacies expects the prescriber to verify weight, height or body mass index independently, for example by video, in person or from clinical records, and says a phone call is not enough. Your prescribing policy has to show how you do this before you prescribe and while supply continues.
No prescribing from a questionnaire alone
GPhC guidance names medicines used for weight management among those not suitable to be prescribed from a questionnaire alone, and GMC guidance expects a two-way dialogue before prescribing. Your pathway needs a real consultation, with identity checks so medicines go to the right person.
Pregnancy and contraception
MHRA advice says GLP-1 medicines must not be taken during pregnancy, while trying to get pregnant or while breastfeeding, and that people on Mounjaro (tirzepatide) should not rely on oral contraception alone. Your consent and prescribing policies need these checks built in.
Sharing information with the GP
GMC guidance expects you to ask for consent to contact the patient’s GP and to share prescribing information. If the patient refuses and not sharing could put them at risk, you explain that you cannot prescribe and signpost them elsewhere, so your policy should say when that applies.
Indemnity that names the service
Your medical indemnity has to cover weight management prescribing and, for an online service, remote consultations. CQC asks online primary care applicants for an indemnity quote or policy that covers online services.
Five steps from first call to certificate
Our part is fast. CQC’s assessment sets the overall timescale, and we stay with you through it.
Scoping and onboarding
We map your clinic or online model, confirm your regulated activities, then give you a checklist of what only you can get: DBS checks, indemnity, the clinic lease or registered office arrangements, ICO registration and financial evidence.
Stage 1 pack
Your policies written for weight management, covering verification, contraception, GP sharing and monitoring, plus your forms, as soon as your requirements are met.
Submission
We check everything first, then support you to send the provider and registered manager applications to CQC.
Stage 2 support
Requested documents, the interview pack, a two-hour mock interview with written feedback, and follow-up with CQC on your behalf.
Decision
You receive your certificate of registration and can then begin seeing patients, in your clinic or online.
One package, paid in two halves
Our fee covers both stages. The regulator’s fee and your set-up costs are separate, so budget for them too.
CQC registration package
Or pay in full and take 10% off.
Also budget for
Paid to others, not to us. CQC itself charges no application fee.
- CQC annual fee, charged once you are registered
- Medical indemnity that covers weight management and any online work
- Public and employer’s liability insurance
- DBS checks
- ICO data protection fee
- Clinic lease and set-up, if you see patients in person
- Your accountant’s time on the financial viability statement, where CQC needs one
If CQC rejects or returns your application before it reaches an inspector, we fix it and resubmit at no extra cost, as many times as it takes. Subject to our terms and conditions.
Buy single documents instead
Statement of Purpose
A Statement of Purpose written for your service, with your provider, location, manager and regulated activity details.
Registered manager interview prep
Practice questions, answer guidance and feedback for the CQC registered manager interview, on its own.
Business continuity plan
An editable plan template covering staffing, premises, utilities, IT, medicines and suppliers, with recovery and review records.
Keep your policies current
CuraFlow Policies keeps your full library up to date with law and CQC changes once you are registered.
CQC registration for a weight loss clinic: your questions
Does a weight loss clinic need CQC registration?
Can we register for services in slimming clinics if we prescribe online?
Does a nurse-led or pharmacist-led weight loss service need CQC registration?
Do we have to tell the patient’s GP before prescribing GLP-1 medicines?
How long does CQC registration for a weight loss clinic take, and what does it cost?
What happens if CQC sends my application back?
Guides for weight loss clinic providers
Free CQC registration guide and checklist
A 13-page PDF covering home care, supported living, online GP services and four other types of service. It lists the documents each one needs and the checks to run before you apply.
Get the free guideThe words you will meet in your application
Ready to register your weight loss clinic?
No obligation. We confirm which regulated activities your weight loss service needs and what you still have to get, as well as a realistic timeline.