Frequently Asked Questions

CQC first checks that your application forms, supporting documents and information are complete and correct. If the application passes these checks, it progresses to assessment, which may include further information requests, an interview, a site visit or a discussion with the Nominated Individual.

Yes, there are many things which are beyond our control and can only be done by yourself, e.g. taking insurance quotation for your business, opening up bank account, ordering supplies, making provisions for H&S suppliers and more. However if you do not have an idea as to what needs to be done, please feel free to give us a call and we will help you with the list of items.

Depending on your service, you may need suitable premises, insurance, staffing, DBS checks, training, governance systems and other operational evidence before CQC can complete its assessment.

If CQC rejects an application, the issues normally need to be corrected before a new application is submitted. QMADS can review the reasons for rejection and support the resubmission process.

In the UK, a General Practitioner (GP) cannot consult patients privately without being registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) if they are offering regulated activities such as medical consultations, treatments, or diagnostic services.

If a GP wants to offer private medical services, they must either:

Obtain Practice Privileges – The practice itself must have CQC registration, not necessarily each individual GP, and must provide practice privileges to the GP so they can consult private patients.

Register themselves with CQC – If the GP is running their own private service, they must be registered with the CQC to offer medical services.

Without CQC registration or practice privileges, the GP cannot legally provide private healthcare services in the UK. It’s essential for GPs to comply with CQC requirements to avoid penalties and legal issues.

Different services require different regulated activities, documents, governance arrangements and levels of specialist input. Our fees reflect the complexity of the application.

Payment terms are confirmed in your proposal before work begins and depend on the scope and value of the registration package.

We are fully responsible and accountable for the services we provide, if ever there is anything done wrong/incorrect by us, we will make all efforts to fix it without any charge. CQC makes the registration decision, so no consultancy can promise you an outcome. If an application has to be resubmitted, call us for a quote; resubmissions start from £1,250 + VAT.

How much support you get depends on the package you buy. With the registration package it runs until you receive your CQC interview date. You can talk to us, email, and chat to us on WhatsApp (the mobile number is 07899 844 834).

Yes, all of the documents we prepare for you are given to you in MS Word and PDF format so you are able to use them in future, and edit them should there be any need.

Not all health services are same and it takes different content to represent each type of application to the regulators which results in more time and efforts we have to make. Registration is priced by service type: social care from £2,500 + VAT, primary care from £3,000 + VAT, secondary care and other services from £3,500 + VAT, and amendments or resubmissions from £1,250 + VAT. If your service is not in one of those bands, call us and we will map the regulated activity for you.

Private healthcare providers need one or two packages: the registration package, plus the policy package unless you already hold policies from another provider. Where you do need policies from us, they come on your own letterhead, without a watermark and fully writable, for a one-off fee.

Yes. You receive editable copies of the documents prepared by QMADS for your ongoing compliance and operational use.

The fee depends on your sector and how large and complex the pack needs to be. The current fee and range are shown in the pricing section of this page and confirmed at the free consultation, once we know your service type and what policies you already hold.

Book a free consultation and we identify the correct pack for your regulated activity. We then review your service model, tailor and brand the policies, and deliver them in Word and PDF. An optional ongoing update service keeps the pack aligned with regulatory changes.

Yes. Where required, policies are adapted to reflect your organisation, service model and operational arrangements rather than being supplied as generic documents.

QMADS monitors relevant regulatory and legislative developments. Where a change affects your documentation, the relevant policies are reviewed and updated through the managed policy service.

Yes. We can review your existing documentation and identify whether policies are missing, outdated or require revision. You do not necessarily need to replace suitable documents.

CQC does not operate an approval scheme for commercial policy providers (thats not their job). Our policies are developed to align with applicable regulatory requirements and CQC guidance, but every provider remains responsible for implementing them appropriately within their own service.

Yes. The managed service can support both new providers preparing for registration and existing providers that need to maintain an up-to-date policy and compliance framework.

Yes. Individual policies or specialist documents can be provided where you do not require a complete policy library. Pricing depends on the document and complexity.

Subscription and cancellation arrangements are set out in your service agreement before you subscribe.

A fully bespoke, CQC-aligned business plan is £750 plus VAT. It includes market and demographic analysis from local authority data, an operational model covering staffing, rotas and leadership, financial projections and cost modelling, a risk register and SWOT analysis, delivered as a lender-ready document.

The process starts with a free consultation, followed by data collection and an assessment of your service model. We then build the financial projections and operational plan, issue a draft for review, refine it with you and deliver the final plan in Word and PDF. A fast turnaround is available when your application is time-critical.

Yes. The business plan includes financial projections based on the information and assumptions you provide about your proposed service.

Yes. Where relevant, we research the local market, demographics, existing provision and potential demand for your proposed service.

Yes. Business plans can also be prepared for private healthcare providers, lenders, commissioners, investors, funding applications and internal business planning.

Yes. We can work from an existing plan where appropriate, although it may need updating or restructuring to reflect your current service model, market, governance arrangements and financial assumptions.

No. CQC independently determines registration applications. A well-prepared business plan helps demonstrate that your service has been properly planned and that the required information has been considered.

CQC currently requires a business plan and financial forecast for care homes, domiciliary care agencies and supported living services as part of their additional registration evidence.

The Registered Manager and, for new providers, the Nominated Individual. The CQC uses the interview to test competence, leadership understanding, governance and regulatory knowledge, and most failed applications fail at this stage rather than on paperwork.

There is no single fixed question set for every applicant. Questions will depend on your role, service, regulated activities, experience and information within your application. QMADS prepares you using relevant regulatory topics, service-specific scenarios and questions informed by previous client interview experiences.

You should understand your application, Statement of Purpose, relevant regulations, policies, safeguarding arrangements, governance systems and the practical operation of your proposed service.

You should have a strong working understanding of the regulations relevant to your role and service and be able to explain how you will comply with them in practice.

It may. Applicants should be capable of explaining how they would respond to practical issues such as safeguarding concerns, complaints, incidents, medication errors, staffing problems and governance risks where relevant to their service.

There is no guaranteed standard duration. The length will depend on the applicant, service type, complexity and areas CQC needs to explore.

Yes. We can conduct an interview-style preparation session, challenge your answers and identify areas where further preparation is required.

No. CQC makes the registration decision independently. Our role is to strengthen your preparation and help you demonstrate your knowledge, experience and understanding effectively.

CQC considers the information gathered throughout the registration assessment when reaching its decision. If concerns are identified, it may seek further information or take those concerns into account when deciding the application.

Our Next Day service is £400 + VAT and our Same Day service is £500 + VAT.

We usually require the completed CQC FVS form, Statement of Purpose, financial forecast or budget (where required), bank statements and any relevant evidence of available funding.

he statement must include the applicant’s declaration and be signed by a professionally qualified financial specialist, such as an accountant registered with a recognised professional body.

Not always. The requirement depends on your service type. Where a Business Plan exists, it can help provide context for the financial assumptions being reviewed.

Potentially, yes. New providers can use forecasts, available capital, funding evidence and other relevant financial information. The accountant will determine whether the evidence is sufficient to support the declaration.

Yes. We can assist with relevant clarification requests and coordinate with the accountant where additional financial information is required.

Yes. The Financial Viability Statement can be purchased as a standalone service or alongside our wider CQC Registration package.

Yes. CQC will carry out a site visit depending on the service and application. Applicants should ensure their premises are ready before applying because CQC states that locations and staff must be ready to provide the service at the point of application.

Yes, and that is the best time. Premises and equipment failures are among the most common causes of breaches, delayed registrations and refused applications. The assessment begins with a free Zoom consultation, then a review of your risk assessments, maintenance logs, fire audits and equipment inventory, followed by the inspection and a corrective action plan ordered by risk priority.

We review areas including premises suitability, layout, infection control, equipment, security, accessibility, privacy, fire and safety arrangements, maintenance and premises governance.

Our assessment helps identify potential premises-related weaknesses before CQC reviews the service.

Yes. A preliminary or virtual review may help identify obvious regulatory considerations before you commit to a property, although planning, building-control and specialist property advice should be obtained separately where required.

Yes. Multi-site reviews can be arranged and are quoted according to the number, location and complexity of the premises.

The scope can include governance, safeguarding, staffing, recruitment, training, medicines, care or clinical records, complaints, incidents, infection control, premises and service-user experience.

Yes, where included within the scope. Staff interviews help establish whether policies and regulatory requirements are understood and implemented in practice.

Yes. Appropriate record sampling can form part of the inspection to assess documentation, risk management, consent, care planning and other relevant evidence.

Yes. You receive a structured report explaining the findings, identified risks and areas requiring improvement.

Yes. A prioritised corrective action plan is included, setting out the main areas that should be addressed.

No. CQC independently assesses and rates providers. A mock inspection helps identify weaknesses and improve inspection readiness but cannot guarantee a regulatory outcome.

Providers commonly arrange one before an expected CQC assessment, after significant organisational changes, following concerns or complaints, or as part of routine governance assurance.

Yes. QMADS can provide additional support through Remedial Action Plans, governance reviews, policy updates, training and ongoing consultancy.

Yes. Multi-location and group-provider mock inspections can be scoped and quoted separately.

You pay £1000+VAT for each failed domain or key section, not a flat fee. For example a failed Safe domain is £1000, Safe plus Well-Led is £2000, and Responsive, Effective and Caring together are £3000.

Not necessarily. The required format will depend on the regulatory situation and any instructions CQC gives you. The key requirement is that the response clearly explains the corrective actions, timescales, accountability and evidence of improvement.

A Warning Notice indicates that CQC considers regulatory requirements have not been met and specifies the improvements it expects. The provider should act promptly, address the underlying concerns and maintain clear evidence of remediation.

We can help you analyse the findings, draft the remedial plan and prepare supporting responses. The provider remains responsible for approving and submitting any formal regulatory response.

Yes. Implementation support can be provided separately or included within a wider remediation package, depending on the scope agreed.

Timescales depend on the number and seriousness of the findings. Urgent cases can be prioritised, but the scope must first be reviewed.

Where included in the scope, yes. We can review supporting evidence and help determine whether the action has been sufficiently implemented.

A strong remedial plan can help providers address the issues behind a poor rating and demonstrate improvement, but only CQC can determine a future regulatory rating.

Yes. Providers rated Inadequate often require a broader remediation programme involving governance, leadership, workforce, policies, audits and operational controls.

Yes. We can provide regulatory and compliance support around the operational issues identified. Where formal legal advice or representation is required, appropriate legal professionals should also be involved.

Yes. We can review an existing plan, identify weaknesses and recommend revisions before it is submitted or used for ongoing monitoring.

Providers must operate effective governance systems while carrying on regulated activities. For new providers, establishing these systems before service delivery begins helps ensure that appropriate evidence and oversight exist from the outset.

Yes. We can design the complete governance framework, including responsibilities, audits, meetings, evidence requirements, risk systems, quality monitoring and management reporting.

Yes. Governance should be proportionate to the organisation. A small provider needs effective systems, but those systems do not need to be unnecessarily complicated.

Yes. We can develop governance structures covering multiple locations, management layers, service types and reporting levels.

The audit programme depends on your regulated activities and service model. We identify the areas requiring routine monitoring and establish an appropriate audit schedule.

There is no universal frequency for every meeting. We establish an appropriate meeting structure based on your organisation's size, risks and service model.

This depends on your service, but typically includes audits, meeting minutes, risk registers, complaints, incidents, safeguarding records, workforce evidence, feedback, action plans and evidence of improvement.

Yes. Where applicable, we provide the templates, trackers, audit tools and governance documentation required to operate the framework.

No. Only CQC can determine regulatory ratings. The purpose of the service is to establish robust governance systems and help the provider demonstrate effective oversight and compliance.

Yes. We can assess your current arrangements, identify weaknesses and either strengthen the existing framework or redesign areas that are not operating effectively.

Yes. Following implementation, ongoing consultancy, mock inspections, compliance reviews and regulatory support can be provided separately.

Yes. CQC's current published assessment guidance still uses Quality Statements under the existing assessment approach.

CQC has confirmed that its draft sector-specific frameworks replace Quality Statements with supporting Key Lines of Enquiry / assessment questions.

No. The underlying evidence — audits, governance, workforce records, incidents, outcomes and service-user experience — remains relevant. The mapping structure can be adapted to CQC's new sector-specific framework.

This can include governance, policies, workforce records, complaints, incidents, safeguarding, audits, risk registers, care or clinical records and quality-improvement evidence.

Yes. The service is specifically designed to make your evidence easier to identify, organise and demonstrate during regulatory assessment.

Yes. Evidence mapping can be structured at provider, location or service level depending on your organisation.

The Professional Retainer is designed for providers needing regular compliance support and structured guidance. The Executive Retainer is better suited to larger, complex or multi-site organisations requiring proactive oversight and senior-level regulatory support.

Yes. Depending on your plan, agreed members of your team can access QMADS through the established support channels, including a dedicated WhatsApp group, email and scheduled calls.

Your allowance can be used for regulatory queries, document reviews, CQC correspondence, governance advice, complaints and incident guidance, workforce compliance, risk management, inspection preparation and other agreed compliance matters.

You can take it out from next month or additional consultancy can be purchased separately at the applicable rate. We will let you know where work is likely to exceed the included monthly allowance.

Because this service is heavily discounted, hours cannot be rolled over unless a special exception is explicitly agreed upon.

Yes. We can review routine CQC correspondence, explain what is being requested and advise on the appropriate compliance response within your agreed retainer scope.

Yes. We can provide regulatory and governance guidance around complaints, incidents and safeguarding matters, including escalation, documentation, learning and relevant CQC considerations.

Yes. Document review is included within the agreed limits of your retainer. More extensive drafting or full policy-development projects may fall outside the retainer and be quoted separately.

No. Services that are separately listed and priced on the QMADS website, such as CQC Registration, Mock Inspections, Governance Setup, Remedial Action Plans, Business Plans and Interview Preparation, are purchased separately unless specifically included in your agreement.

No. QMADS provides regulatory and compliance consultancy. Legal representation or formal legal advice is not included.

Travel and on-site attendance are not automatically included. Where required, these can be arranged and quoted separately.

Yes. Where included within your plan or available consultancy allowance, your consultant can attend selected governance or management meetings.

Yes. Multi-site or group support can be added as long as they are under same CQC profile and your Companies House Registration.

No. You can cancel anytime.

No. Training can be delivered to providers, directors, Nominated Individuals, managers, clinical leads and frontline staff.

Yes. We can deliver organisation-wide training or separate sessions for leadership and frontline teams.

Yes. All of your staff will get certificates of attendance.

Yes. The content is adapted to your service type, regulated activities and learning needs.

Yes. This is one of the strongest uses of the service because it helps establish regulatory understanding from the outset.

Yes. Training can focus specifically on inspection readiness, staff knowledge and evidence requirements.

Yes. We explain CQC's regulatory standards, regulations, and enforcement powers and what they mean for providers and managers.

Yes. that would be the best relatable examples your staff can understand based on their roles.

Subscriptions start from £75 plus VAT per month, with unlimited staff members and unlimited questions. It renews monthly with no long-term contract. The subscription levels are listed on this page.

After a free consultation by Zoom or WhatsApp call to confirm your service type and subscription level, the group is created, you add your team and you can start asking questions straight away.