What are regulated activities?
The Law lays down a number of ‘activities’ which are regulated by CQC.
We will license providers to carry out regulated activities if they are meeting essential standards of quality and safety.
We have broadly described some of the regulated activities below. For the full legal description refer to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2009.
The regulated activities are the provision of:
Accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care
This is where a person who needs nursing or personal care lives and is cared for on a day-to-day basis. These are professionally managed premises which the person does not legally own or rent.
Personal care
Professional help with daily tasks, such as:
- washing
- dressing
- eating
People may need personal care because of old age, illness or disability. For example, personal care is provided in a residential care home to people living with dementia.
Nursing care
Nursing care is provided by nurses when a person needs specialist or medical care, usually after leaving hospital. Most nursing care is provided to people in hospital or a care home. Nursing care is also provided to people in their own home if they need specialist medical or nursing care to help them remain at home.
Accommodation for persons who require treatment for substance misuse
A person must accept treatment for drug or alcohol misuse as a condition to live in this residential accommodation.
Accommodation and nursing or personal care in the further education sector
A college or university hall of residence where more than 10% of the students who live there require full time nursing and personal care.
Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
A person is treated by a health care professional or a multi-disciplinary team which includes a health care professional. If the treatment is for a mental disorder a social worker will be involved.
Assessment or medical treatment for people whose rights have been restricted under the 1983 Mental Health Act
A person who is suffering from severe mental disorder may be assessed or treated under the 1983 Mental Health Act.
Surgical procedures
Surgical operations, including all pre-operative and post-operative care, carried out by a health care professional for the purpose of:
- treating disease, disorder or injury;
- cosmetic procedures where instruments or equipment are inserted into the body;
- religious observance.
Diagnostic and screening procedures
These are X-rays and other methods to examine the body:
- the use of radiation, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging;
- the use of instruments or equipment which are inserted into the body to view its internal parts and gather physiological data;
- the removal of tissues, cells or fluids from the body to discover the presence, cause or extent of a disease, disorder or injury;
- the use of equipment to measure or monitor physiological data in relation to the neurological, vision, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastro-intestinal, urinary or audio-vestibular system.
Management of supply of blood and blood-derived products
This is the:
- management of the supply of blood intended for transfusion;
- supply of tissues and tissue-derived products intended for transplant, grafting or use in a surgical procedure;
- matching and allocation of donor organs intended for transplant, and of stem cells and bone marrow intended for transfusion.
Maternity and midwifery services
Health care professionals provide or supervise the care of pregnant mothers and the delivery of babies.
Termination of pregnancies
The termination of a pregnancy carried out by, or under the supervision of, a healthcare professional in a hospital or a specialised licensed clinic.
Services in slimming clinics
Medical practitioners provide or supervise treatment and advice and prescribe medicines for the purposes of weight reduction.
Family planning services
Services that involve the insertion or removal of an intrauterine contraceptive device carried out by, or under the supervision of, a health care professional. Other forms of contraceptive fitting or supply are included in nursing care or are exempt from regulated activities.
Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely
- Transport services designed to carry people who require treatment by road, air or water, for example, ambulances provided by the NHS in England;
- Medical advice when immediate action or attention is needed, or prioritisation on the basis of urgency over the telephone or email by a body established for that purpose, for example, NHS Direct.
Description of terms used
Find out more about some of the terms used above:
What is a health care professional?
A health care professional can be a:
- medical practitioner
- dental practitioner
- dental hygienist
- dental therapist
- dental nurse
- dental technician
- orthodontic therapist
- nurse
- midwife
- biomedical scientist
- clinical scientist
- operating department practitioner
- paramedic
- radiographer.
Intrauterine contraceptive device
Intrauterine contraceptive devices were formerly called a coil.
