Care Quality Commission (CQC) Registration

Essential Standards for Quality and Safety

All NHS trusts must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the independent regulator of health and social care organisations.

This registration process requires NHS Trusts to show that they meet a wide range of fundamental standards.

NHS Trusts must demonstrate that they comply with these fundamental standards for quality and safety across all of the regulated activities* they provide.

Based on the information and evidence supplied by each organisation the CQC will make a decision about registration for each activity and location identified. They will either:

  • Register the organisation/trust without compliance conditions;
  • Register the organisation/trust with compliance conditions; or
  • Refuse all or part of the registration.
  • Organisations that are not registered with the CQC will not be able to provide services.

Bridgewater has been registered without compliance conditions for all the regulated activities it provides and all registered locations.


Reports from CQC Inspections

You can view all of the reports relating to our services at www.cqc.org.uk/directory/ry2.

One of the regulations states that the organisation must have an up to date Statement of Purpose that includes the following information:

  • The organisations aims and objectives
  • The kinds of services we provide when carrying out our regulated activities
  • Range of people to whom we provide services
  • Our headquarters contact details
  • Our legal status
  • Our registered locations

The new CQC system of registration places emphasis on ongoing compliance. Therefore, registration is not just about the initial application and the CQC will monitor whether providers such as Bridgewater continue to comply with fundamental standards of quality and safety.

Each organisation will have to demonstrate continued compliance with the standards at regular intervals.

If organisations are not compliant, new wider enforcement powers will be enforced to make sure that swift action is taken.

A location is the main address from which a regulated activity is carried out, e.g. Europa Point, is the location for the vast majority of Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust services with the main regulated activity being Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

The CQC specify regulated activities and services where separate locations have to be identified e.g. GP Out of Hours Service and Walk in Centre are included in the list of services where separate locations have to be indentified.

It is important to remember that not all locations where Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust deliver services will be listed in the certificates.

For more information on the Care Quality Commission and the registration process visit www.cqc.org.uk.

*Regulated activities that require registration are described in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2009.

A full list of regulated activities is available on the CQC website. Click here to find out more.

**The CQC registration certificate highlights several registered locations where regulated activities are provided or where a type of service is carried out. In order to comply with the regulations only these specific locations have to be identified and there is no requirement to list all locations where clinical care is undertaken by Bridgewater staff.