Who needs to register?
The providers of independent hospitals must register all their services.
If your service meets the statutory definition, and is not excluded, you should contact us to start the registration process.
Check if you need to register
The registration of an independent hospital can be complex. If you are considering registering with us, we recommend that you seek additional legal advice. This will ensure that you understand the definitions and the associated requirements.
An independent hospital must be registered with us. However and Independent Hospital is not a health service hospital or a private psychiatric hospital. The definition of an independent hospital is set out at s10F of The National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.
If the hospital treats one or more patients subject to an order or direction under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 or the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, it must be registered as a private psychiatric hospital. The definition of a Private Psychiatric Hospital is set out at s10F of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978
Next steps
If you still have questions on your registration, email the independent health care team.
If need to register your service, visit our website.
Our current registration timescales are approximately three months. These timescales are based on applications being entirely complete at the time of submission. An application is considered complete where all parts of the application have been submitted. This includes:
- application form
- supporting documents
- policies and procedures
Applications that are incomplete may be refused. Registration fees are non-refundable.
We cannot provide support to service providers to assist with making an application to register.