App Regulation: Care Quality Commission

Staying up-to-date with the latest app regulations and standards is essential for app developers.

If your app provides a health or social care service, as defined by the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) ‘regulated activities’, it must be registered with the CQC. The CQC is the independent regulator of health and social care in England, and requires ‘any person (individual, partnership or organisation) who provides regulated activity in England [to] be registered […] otherwise they commit an offence.’

‘Regulated activities’ (as listed in Schedule 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014) require registration by law and may apply to health and care app developers. Such activities include, but are not limited to, those concerning:

• Personal care
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
• Assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Transport services, triage and medical advice provided remotely
• Maternity and midwifery services
• Family planning services

CQC compliance ensures that health apps are high-quality, safe and effective for consumers, patients and healthcare professionals.

Read the CQC’s Scope of Registration here for more information.