For UK private dental practices
Your CQC registration no longer covers what you actually do
Adding sedation, facial aesthetics, or implant surgery without updating your registration is not a grey area. Operating outside your registered activities exposes you to criminal prosecution and an unlimited fine.
Two minutes. Solva follows up with specific registration update options.
- Offering IV sedation or facial aesthetics without CQC registration
- Providing implant surgery without the necessary CQC registration updates
- CQC inspection identifies services being delivered that are not listed on the practice's Statement of Purpose
- Receiving a warning notice or enforcement action from the CQC
- Forced cessation of unregulated services
- Diversion of management time to address regulatory breaches
- Significant legal fees and court costs for defense
- Loss of income due to practice closure or suspension
- Patient safety risks due to unmonitored procedures
- Substandard care delivery without regulatory oversight
- Severe damage to practice reputation and patient trust
- Negative media coverage and public perception
- Structural root causes include the evolving nature of dental services, such as the increasing popularity of facial aesthetics, which may not have been regulated activities when practices initially registered.
- Behavioural causes often stem from a lack of awareness or understanding among practice owners and managers regarding the need to update CQC registration for new services.
- Systemic issues can arise from insufficient proactive communication from regulatory bodies about changes in regulated activities or the complexities of the registration variation process itself.
No verified UK data available for a 2024 report with a 67% increase in enforcement actions. However, operating outside CQC registration for regulated activities is illegal and subject to enforcement. (Care Quality Commission, 2024)
How to fix it
Conduct a regulated activity audit against your current service offering. Submit a variation to your CQC registration for any new regulated activities. Ensure your Nominated Individual and Registered Manager are correctly named and meet CQC fit and proper person requirements. Review your Statement of Purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this problem persist?
Dental practices that add new regulated activities - sedation, facial aesthetics involving prescription-only medicines, or implant surgery - without updating their CQC registration are operating illegally. CQC has increased enforcement activity in dentistry, particularly around practices offering aesthetic treatments that require registration as a regulated activity.
What is the cost of leaving it unaddressed?
Operating outside CQC registration for regulated activities carries an unlimited fine and potential criminal prosecution. (Stephensons Solicitors LLP, 2023)
This is exactly what I do with UK private practices. Answer the few questions above and I'll come back personally with where to start. Paul.