Information to help you make an informed choice on which private health care service is right for you.
Our role
Healthcare Improvement Scotland is a public body. Our purpose is to enable the people of Scotland to experience the best quality of health and social care, across the NHS in Scotland and social care services.
We are also responsible for regulating:
- independent hospitals
- independent clinics
- independent medical agencies
Private clinics – what are they?
A private clinic – also known in Scotland as an independent clinic – is a clinic where a registered doctor, registered nurse, registered midwife or dental care professional provides a service to the public which is not part of the NHS. It is a legal requirement for these private clinics to be registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland.
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are now included in the definition of an independent clinic. This change took place on 19 June 2024.
There will be a 12-month transition period for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to register with us. It becomes an offence to provide an unregistered independent clinic provided by a registered pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician on 19 June 2025.
Clinics we regulate
The vast majority of private clinics regulated provide cosmetic procedures such as:
- anti-wrinkle injections
- dermal fillers
- weight loss therapy
Others deliver a range of services such as:
- private dentistry
- GP services
- health screening
- travel clinics
The registration process for private clinics is thorough, and there are strict requirements which services must meet in order to become registered. When a clinic is registered with us it is subject to regular inspection.
Services are assessed against a range of quality indicators and we gather feedback from patients. All registered clinics must demonstrate that they are maintaining high standards of care at all times.
A report grading aspects of the service, is published on our website following each inspection.
We then grade each clinic as:
- exceptional
- good
- satisfactory
- unsatisfactory
You can find all previous inspection reports on each independent private clinic’s service page.
Our enforcement powers
We can take enforcement action where services present a serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of patients. We can refuse registration of a private clinic, meaning that it is unable to operate legally.
Any service continuing to operate when not registered can be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
If you have an issue or concerns with a service
You can make a complaint to us at any time. However, we suggest that you always try to resolve the complaint with the service first. This is the quickest and often the most effective way to resolve any problems.
Finding a regulated clinic
We maintain a register of regulated independent health care services on our website.
Each service page provides a summary of the treatments the clinic is regulated to provide and inspection reports.
Deciding which clinic is right for you
To help make an informed choice, you can:
- read the inspection reports related to a service
- check online reviews
- check a clinics social media pages
- check a clinics website for information on the services that they provide
There are also a number of national associations which provide information to inform your decision:
- NHS – things to think about before getting a cosmetic procedure.
- Royal College of Surgeons England – what is cosmetic surgery?
- British College of Aesthetic Medicine – general information on aesthetic treatments and those who provide them.
- British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.
- British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons – an official statement on Brazilian butt lifts.
- British Association of Hair Restoration Surgery – general information on the procedure.
- Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners – general information on cosmetic procedures.