CQC registration has changed – here’s what dental squat practices need to know 

Pat Langley looks at what entrepreneurial dentists wanting to start up a new squat practice need to know in light of the recent changes to the CQC registration process. 

Opening a new dental practice has never been a small undertaking. Between securing premises, fitting out surgeries, recruiting the right team, and building a patient base, the squat start-up journey demands energy, resilience, a very good spreadsheet and clear, comprehensive and accurate professional support in all areas from advisors and suppliers who understand the dental industry.  

Another very important factor for prospective practice owners to consider in their plans is that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has tightened its approach to new provider registration applications. 

This change means CQC registration must sit at the centre of the launch plan from day one. 

What has changed in CQC registration? 

From 5 May 2026, new dental provider applications must include additional supporting documents, as well as a new oral health service form, alongside the standard CQC application paperwork. 

This is a significant shift in emphasis. Historically, applicants have usually submitted the core paperwork first and dealt with further evidence later in the process. The CQC’s new approach is much more front-loaded. Applicants are now expected to provide a complete, relevant and up-to-date evidence pack at the point of application. 

For new dental providers, that means the application must do more than describe the proposed service. It must demonstrate that the practice is ready, safe and properly governed before registration can be granted. 

The CQC says the changes are designed to help it process applications more quickly. In practice, they also raise the stakes for applicants. If required documents are missing, incorrect, out of date or not relevant to the service being registered, the application is likely to be rejected. If that happens, the provider will need to resubmit, and the resubmission will be treated as a new application rather than holding its original place in the queue. 

For anyone working to a planned opening date, that distinction matters. 

What dental providers now need to include 

All new provider applicants must submit the standard CQC documents, including policies covering complaints, consent, equality and human rights, governance and quality assurance, infection prevention and control, medicines management, recruitment, safeguarding and a statement of purpose. A financial viability statement may also be required.  

For dental practices, there is now a further set of dental-specific requirements. These include critical examination and acceptance test reports, a fire risk assessment, evidence of registration with the Health and Safety Executive in line with the ionising radiation regulations, a health and safety risk assessment, a legionella risk assessment, LOLER lift safety certification where applicable, and a radiography risk assessment and local rules documentation. 

In addition, the CQC may ask to see other evidence during the assessment process. This could include a floor plan, electrical installation certificate, emergency lighting completion certificate, gas safety certificate, medical emergencies and resuscitation policy, serious incident policy, fit and proper persons policy, and relevant installation or calibration certificates for equipment such as decontamination units, suction, compressors, ventilation or amalgam separators. 

In other words, this is not just a paperwork exercise. It is a readiness test. 

The building control point 

Another important change affects any location that requires building regulations approval. Where this applies, the applicant must include a building control final certificate with the application. 

This could be particularly relevant for squat practices, where premises are often undergoing significant refurbishment or conversion. Dental fit-outs can involve changes to room layout, plumbing, ventilation, electrical systems, radiation protection and accessibility. If the project needs building control approval, the final certificate is now part of the CQC registration process. 

That means timing is crucial. Practice owners should speak early to architects, contractors and compliance advisers to understand when certificates and commissioning documents will be available. The CQC application timeline should be built around evidence being complete, not around optimism about when the builder might finish. 

Financial considerations and planning 

The change is not just ‘more paperwork’. For squat practice owners, it can affect the whole financial model. The owner may be carrying rent, loan repayments, fit-out costs, staff recruitment costs, equipment finance and professional fees before they can legally start treating patients and generating income. 

This commercial reality should not be overlooked. Most squat practices operate on tight budgets, particularly in the final stages before opening, when cash is flowing out, but income has not yet begun.

If a new provider cannot submit a complete CQC application until the premises, equipment, certificates and supporting documents are effectively ready, this can create a difficult funding gap. Rent, loan repayments, equipment finance, contractor invoices, staff recruitment costs and professional fees may all be falling due while the practice is still waiting for registration and is unable to treat patients. For new owners, this makes financial planning every bit as important as compliance planning.

Contingency should be built into the business plan, lenders should understand the registration timeline, and opening projections should allow for the possibility that a rejected or incomplete application could delay the first day of trading. In the new registration environment, cashflow planning is not separate from CQC readiness; it is part of it. 

Can a dental squat be treated as urgent? 

Some new providers may wonder whether their application can be fast-tracked, particularly where a completed practice is ready to open but cannot yet trade. The CQC’s urgent registration route is, however, narrow. Applications are usually assessed in the order they are received, and urgent consideration is reserved for cases where registration is critical to increasing capacity in the health and social care system or reducing pressure on the NHS or social care. 

This means that an NHS squat may have a route to urgent consideration if local commissioners support the case, but a purely private squat is unlikely to qualify simply because the owner is under financial pressure or ready to open.  

For a private squat to be considered urgent, the CQC would require formal evidence from an appropriate commissioner or senior public body representative, and financial hardship alone would not be enough. 

This reinforces the need for owners to plan conservatively. Urgent registration should not be relied upon as part of the opening strategy. For most start-ups, the safer assumption is that the application will proceed through the ordinary registration process, and the business plan should allow for that. 

Tight cash flow may make the application feel urgent to the owner, but that does not necessarily make it urgent in CQC terms. 

The CQC’s changes have made the registration process more exacting for new dental providers. But for those who prepare early, personalise their documents and treat compliance as part of the business plan rather than a bolt-on, the route to opening a new practice remains very achievable. 

Dentistry Practice Services provides CQC registration support and full compliance support to dentists wanting to open a new squat practice. For more details, please contact ryan.hall@fmc.co.uk.

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