How to apply for the NHS provider licence

Steps to complete when obtaining a licence

1. Check if you need a licence
2. Complete part one of the application online
3. Complete part two of the application online if required

The NHS England Independent Providers team will notify you by email if you need to complete part two.

How to apply

Complete part one of the application online. It’s free of charge and takes about 20 minutes if you have all the required information ready.

Once completed, the NHS England Independent Providers team will send you an email telling you if you need to complete part two of the application.

Part one cannot be saved once started. The application will time out after 20 minutes of inactivity, and your data will be lost.

What you will need

When applying, be prepared to provide the following details about your organisation:

• CQC Provider ID: this is provided when you register with the Care Quality Commission. It is also called a CQC account number and can be found at the top of your registration letter.
• Expected applicable turnover: we will ask you to confirm that you have reasonable expectation of generating applicable turnover of £10 million or more over the next 12 months.
• CQC registration confirmation:
  • We will ask you to confirm that your CQC registration includes the healthcare services your organisation provides for the NHS in England and;
  • We will ask you to confirm that your organisation still delivers regulated healthcare activities as registered with CQC.
• Contact information: provide your name and contact details so we can reach out if we have any questions about your application.
• Please note, any authorised individual from the organisation can complete the application form on behalf of the provider organisation.

When you will get a reply

You should receive an email within 5 working days. This will tell you if you are required to complete part two of the NHS provider licence application or not.

The email will be sent to the contact details provided at the end of the application form.