CQC-Registered Hospitals
Why the hospital’s regulation matters as much as the surgeon.
Why the facility matters
A great surgeon still needs a safe environment. In England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates and inspects providers of surgery, checking safety, staffing, equipment and processes for managing emergencies. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have equivalent regulators (Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, RQIA).
How to check
You can look up a hospital or clinic on the CQC website to see its registration and inspection rating. Confirm your procedure will take place in a regulated facility with proper anaesthetic and emergency provision — not an unregulated premises.
Major surgery performed somewhere without proper regulation, anaesthetic cover and emergency capability is a serious safety risk, however good the price sounds.