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For independent healthcare providers in Wales

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales compliance software for independent clinics and hospitals.

wai runs booking, clinical notes, patient messaging, payments and records for independent clinics, hospitals and medical agencies in Wales, and keeps those records as the evidence HIW reads under its three inspection themes. HIW registers these services and aims to inspect each one at least once every three years, against 25 National Minimum Standards.

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Updated . Every HIW fact is checked against hiw.org.uk and the other official pages cited below.

A clinician reading on a tablet in a large, quiet private clinic at dusk, a city lit up beyond the glass

For

Independent clinics, independent hospitals, independent medical agencies and laser and IPL services

Regulator

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales

Standards

25 National Minimum Standards, reported under 3 themes

Records

A clinic in Wales has its records hosted in the United Kingdom

Who registers with HIW

  1. Independent clinics and doctorsBooking, notes, patient messages and payments in one system, with every action recorded as it happens.
  2. Multi-site groupsEvery location on the same record, inbox and reports, so evidence is kept the same way at each site.
  3. Diagnostic and surgical centresConsent, results and follow-up recorded with an audit trail, ready when the regulator asks for them.
  4. Hospitals and health systemsMost start with one pathway, such as outpatient booking, and measure it on their own data before extending it.

What an HIW inspection looks like with wai

An HIW inspection usually lasts one to three days. On those days the team asks patients about their care, reads a sample of medical records, and reviews policies, audits and training records. With wai, the notes, consent, patient conversations and access logs those requests point to are already on one record, signed and timed, so your staff spend the inspection with the inspector rather than searching for files.

What HIW inspects against

Three themes, with each of the 25 National Minimum Standards assigned to one of them.

3 themes and 25 standards under the National Minimum Standards for Independent Health Care Services in Wales. Open a theme for its standards.1

01Quality of the patient experienceHIW speaks to patients, relatives, representatives and advocates, so the patient's view sits at the centre of the inspection.7 standards
  1. Health Promotion, Protection and Improvement
  2. Dignity and Respect
  3. Patient Information and Consent
  4. Communicating Effectively
  5. Care Planning and Provision
  6. Equality, Diversity and Human Rights
  7. Citizen Engagement and Feedback

Quality of the patient experience on hiw.org.uk

02Delivery of safe and effective careHIW considers whether care is high quality, safe, reliable and centred on the person.14 standards
  1. Environment
  2. Managing Risk and Health and Safety
  3. Emergency Planning Arrangements
  4. Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Decontamination
  5. Nutrition
  6. Medicines Management
  7. Safeguarding Children and Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
  8. Blood Management
  9. Medical Devices, Equipment and Diagnostic Systems
  10. Safe and Clinically Effective care
  11. Participating in Quality Improvement Activities
  12. Research, Development and Innovation
  13. Information Management and Communications Technology
  14. Records Management

Delivery of safe and effective care on hiw.org.uk

03Quality of management and leadershipHIW considers how the service is managed and led, whether the culture supports safe care, and how the service monitors its own performance.4 standards
  1. Governance and Accountability Framework
  2. Dealing with Concerns and Managing Incidents
  3. Workforce Recruitment and Employment Practices
  4. Workforce Planning, Training and Organisational Development

Quality of management and leadership on hiw.org.uk

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How HIW gathers evidence at inspection

An HIW inspector and an external reviewer with relevant professional experience, on an announced or unannounced visit.2

  1. 01

    Patients and those close to them

    Discussions with patients, family, friends, advocates and carers.

  2. 02

    HIW patient questionnaires

    Completed questionnaires, quoted in the published report.

  3. 03

    Staff

    Discussions and interviews with staff and senior managers, and HIW staff questionnaires.

  4. 04

    Observation

    How staff and patients interact, the environment, and how medicines are stored and given.

  5. 05

    Patient medical records

    A sample of records, read for care planning, consent, medicines and record keeping.

  6. 06

    Documents

    Policies and procedures, audits, risk assessments, rotas, training and recruitment records.

  7. 07

    What HIW already holds

    Previous inspections, concerns from patients and staff, and information from partner organisations.

How HIW reports its findings

HIW does not award a rating. It publishes findings under each theme and asks for a plan for anything that needs to change.3

  1. No improvement planNo areas for improvement found
  2. Improvement planOther improvements, actions due with evidence
  3. Immediate improvement planImmediate concerns about patient safety
  4. Non-compliance noticeSerious concerns not addressed by the end of the inspection

  1. 3 years

    is the longest HIW aims to leave between inspections of an independent service, with more frequent visits where procedures are more complex.1

  2. 12 weeks

    is the most notice HIW gives for an announced inspection.1

  3. 3 months

    from the inspection is when HIW expects the evidence against each action in an improvement plan.3

  • Verbal feedback on the key findings is given at the end of the inspection.
  • A draft report is sent to check for factual accuracy, then published in English and Welsh.
  • Each action in an improvement plan names the standard or regulation, the action, a responsible officer and a timescale.
  • A non-compliance notice is the first step in a process that may lead to civil or criminal proceedings.

Who must register with HIW, and what it costs

Carrying on or managing an independent health care service in Wales without registration is an offence under section 11 of the Care Standards Act 2000.4

ServiceWhat HIW means by itApplication fee
Independent clinicPremises in Wales where private only medical services are provided regularly by GMC registered doctors£500, then £500 a year
Independent medical agencyA Wales based service with no fixed premises, providing private only medical services remotely or online£500, then £500 a year
Independent hospital, laser or IPLClass 3B or 4 lasers or intense pulsed light, which register as an independent hospital£500 for non-surgical laser or intense light, £750 for surgical laser
Independent hospital, otherOvernight beds, other listed services such as endoscopy, dialysis or IVF, or care under the Mental Health Act 1983£1,500 for a non-acute hospital, £2,500 for an acute, mental health or cosmetic surgery hospital
Registered managerEvery service has one, interviewed by HIW on its fitness to manage£100 per manager

What Healthcare Inspectorate Wales compliance software should run

wai runs the clinic's daily work, and the records it keeps are the evidence HIW asks for.

  1. 01

    Appointments and booking

    Online booking from your own website, every clinician's diary read from their calendar, reminders, rebooking after a missed visit and waitlist offers when a slot opens.

    Evidences Quality of the patient experience

    For patients
    Online booking at any hour, with a reminder before the visit.
    For the business
    Fewer missed appointments, and cancelled slots offered to the waitlist.
    On the record
    Every booking, reminder and change, with a time and a name.
  2. 02

    Billing and payments

    Card payments into your own Stripe account, the cancellation policy shown at booking, invoices, statements and reconciliation, with an export for your accountant.

    Evidences Quality of the patient experienceQuality of management and leadership

    For patients
    A clear price and policy before they commit, and an invoice in their app.
    For the business
    Payments reconciled against visits, with an export for your accountant.
    On the record
    The price and policy the patient saw before booking, which the patients' guide must also set out.
  3. 03

    AI scribe and clinical notes

    The note, letters and referrals written from the consultation, cited to guidelines such as NICE, with the transcript beside the note, for the clinician to read, edit and sign.

    Evidences Delivery of safe and effective care

    For patients
    The clinician's attention stays on them during the consultation.
    For the business
    Less time spent writing notes after clinic.
    On the record
    A contemporaneous note, signed, with the time, the signature and the source it cites.
  4. 04

    Follow-ups and patient messaging

    WhatsApp, email and calls in one thread per patient, replies drafted in the patient's own language for your team to approve, a response clock on every new enquiry, and recalls a clinician approves.

    Evidences Quality of the patient experience

    For patients
    A reply in the language they wrote in, approved by your team.
    For the business
    More enquiries answered within the hour, when they are most likely to book.
    On the record
    The whole conversation on one record, with response times.
  5. 05

    Referrals, consent and audit trails

    Recording consent taken at booking, referrals written from the visit, patient flags for controlled drugs and safeguarding notes, and every read of a record logged against a named account.

    Evidences Delivery of safe and effective careQuality of management and leadership

    For patients
    Flags and checks in the record at the point of care.
    For the business
    Incident reviews that start from the audit trail, with times and names.
    On the record
    Who saw what, who changed what, and when, to the minute.
  6. 06

    Staff access and accountability

    Named accounts for every person, role-based access enforced in the database, and the clinician's GMC number on every letter they sign.

    Evidences Delivery of safe and effective careQuality of management and leadership

    For patients
    Their record seen only by staff whose role allows it.
    For the business
    Access and actions tied to named people, in the same system as the record.
    On the record
    Who holds which role, and every action taken under it.
  7. 07

    Reporting

    Takings, front desk and website reports, response targets, and the patient's own record exportable on request.

    Evidences Quality of management and leadership

    For patients
    A copy of their record when they ask for it.
    For the business
    Weekly reports for leaders on response times, the front desk and takings.
    On the record
    Reports for any period, produced on the day they are asked for.

Prices for clinics, groups and hospitals are published on the wai pricing page, and you can request a demo of the full platform.

A man standing at a full-height window in a tall, quiet room, looking out over hills and a town at sunset

How does wai evidence each HIW theme?

For each theme, the records wai keeps, how you produce them, and what changes for patients and the business.

Quality of the patient experience

Patients get clear information, in their own language, and every conversation is kept on their record.

  • Replies drafted in the language the patient writes in, approved by a member of your team
  • The price and the cancellation policy shown before the patient books
  • Recording consent taken at booking, and the consent discussion in the signed note
  • Every message, review request and complaint on one thread per patient

On request. Open a patient's thread to show what they were told, when, and how quickly they were answered.

For patients
Information they understand, before they commit.
For the business
Enquiries answered quickly convert into booked patients.

Delivery of safe and effective care

Clinical records are written during the visit, signed, timed and secured, which is what Standard 20 asks for.

  • Notes, letters and referrals written from the consultation, for the clinician to read, edit and sign
  • Patient flags for controlled drugs and restricted safeguarding notes
  • Every read and change of a record logged against a named account
  • Results on the record as they arrive

On request. Pull any consultation from the sample HIW chooses. The note, transcript, citations and signature appear together.

For patients
A clinician who looks at them during the consultation, not at a keyboard.
For the business
Hours of writing handed back to clinicians every week.

Quality of management and leadership

Managers can see response times, activity and access for the whole service each week.

  • Takings, front desk, response and website reports
  • Named accounts and role-based access, enforced in the database
  • The sequence of events for any concern or incident, taken from the audit trail
  • A clinic in Wales has its records hosted in the United Kingdom

On request. Asked how you monitor the service, show the reports your managers already read.

For patients
A service that acts on what patients tell it.
For the business
Decisions made on numbers the team can check.

What patients and the business gain

Published research on response times, documentation and reminders, from studies outside Wales.

  1. 7x

    An enquiry answered within the hour is nearly seven times as likely to become a real conversation.5

  2. 30%

    Clinicians using an ambient scribe did 30% less work after hours.6

  3. 23%

    Patients sent a notification before their visit were 23% more likely to attend.7

Where HIW evidence lives in wai

What HIW asks for, where it is kept, and how you produce it on the day.

  1. Sample of patient recordsThe patient record, beside the transcriptOpen the consultation. Note, transcript, citations, signature and time, together.
  2. ConsentThe booking and the noteThe recording notice the patient saw at booking, and the consent discussion in the note.
  3. Information and costs given to patientsBooking and the patient appThe price and cancellation policy shown before the patient booked.
  4. Concerns and incidentsThe record and its historyThe sequence of events from the audit trail, for your own concern and incident review.
  5. Access to recordsAccounts and rolesWho holds which role, and every read and change made under it.
  6. Patient feedbackThe patient's threadEvery message, review request and complaint, with response times.
  7. Monitoring the serviceReportsFront desk, response, takings and website reports, on the day they are asked for.

How to prepare for an HIW inspection

A readiness checklist under HIW's three themes.

01Registration and documents

  • Your statement of purpose and patients' guide are current and match the services you provide.
  • Your registration certificate and conditions match what you actually do, including any laser or IPL equipment.
  • Your registered manager is the person HIW interviewed, and HIW has been told of any change.
  • Your policies are indexed, dated and reviewed, as Regulation 9 requires.

02Quality of the patient experience

  • Patient information sets out treatments and their costs in plain language.
  • Consent is recorded in the record for every treatment, with the information given.
  • You can show how patients give feedback and what changed as a result.
  • Patients who need another language or format are provided for.

03Delivery of safe and effective care

  • Five patient records a reviewer could read without help, signed and dated.
  • Medicines, emergency equipment and devices checked, with records of each check.
  • Safeguarding leads named and staff trained to the right level.
  • Infection prevention audits and risk assessments, each with actions.

04Quality of management and leadership

  • A document setting out lines of reporting and accountability.
  • A record of each concern or incident, what was learned and what changed.
  • Recruitment files with DBS checks, references and registration checks.
  • Training records and appraisals that are up to date.

Questions an HIW inspector will ask

What an inspector asks, what to show, and where the answer is kept.

01Can I see a sample of patient records?

What to show

Records that are accurate, complete and written at the time of care.

Where wai has it ready

Notes are written during the visit and signed with a time, and an amended note is signed again.

02How do patients consent to treatment?

What to show

What the patient was told, when they agreed, and where it is recorded.

Where wai has it ready

Recording consent is taken at booking, and the consent discussion is in the signed note.

03How do patients know what treatment will cost?

What to show

The information and prices given before treatment.

Where wai has it ready

The price and cancellation policy are shown at booking, and invoices sit in the patient's app.

04Who can see patient records, and how would you know?

What to show

Roles, access controls and an access log.

Where wai has it ready

Role-based access enforced in the database, and every read logged against a named account.

05How do you monitor the quality of the service?

What to show

The reports and audits managers read, and the actions that followed.

Where wai has it ready

Front desk, response, takings and website reports, ready for each management meeting.

What an HIW inspection puts on the public record

HIW publishes every inspection report and agreed improvement plan, and running an unregistered service is a criminal offence.

  1. Published

    Every report is published on HIW's website in English and Welsh, and an agreed improvement plan is published with it, where patients can read it.3

  2. £500 a year

    is HIW's annual fee for an independent clinic, after a £500 application fee, and £2,500 is the fee to apply as an acute or cosmetic surgery hospital.4

  3. Caution

    issued in May 2026 to a provider that ran laser treatments in Flintshire without registration, after a criminal investigation by HIW.8

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HIW guides

All HIW guides
  1. RegistrationHow do you register an independent clinic with HIW?8 min read
  2. InspectionHow do you prepare for an HIW inspection of an independent clinic?8 min read
  3. After inspectionHow do you respond to an HIW improvement plan or immediate concern?7 min read
  4. StandardsWhat are the National Minimum Standards for independent healthcare in Wales?8 min read

Questions

What is the best Healthcare Inspectorate Wales compliance software?

Software your clinic already runs on, so the records HIW samples are produced by the work itself. Look for one record behind booking, notes, messaging, payments and access, with contemporaneous notes and an audit trail. wai is built that way, to help you achieve an inspection with no improvement plan required.

Is there HIW approved software?

Healthcare Inspectorate Wales registers and inspects independent healthcare services in Wales. It does not approve, certify or endorse software, wai included, and software cannot earn a judgement on a provider's behalf. wai keeps the records your team uses to show HIW how care is delivered, and HIW decides the judgement.

Does HIW rate independent clinics?

No. HIW publishes its findings under three themes. Where it finds something to improve, the clinic completes an improvement plan, and where it finds nothing, the report says no improvement plan is required.

What regulations apply to independent healthcare in Wales?

The Care Standards Act 2000 and the Independent Health Care (Wales) Regulations 2011, which have been amended in places since 2011 and remain in force. HIW inspects against them and against the National Minimum Standards for Independent Health Care Services in Wales.

How long does HIW registration take?

HIW aims to decide within 12 weeks of accepting a complete application. The time runs longer if information is not returned within 5 working days or a site visit or interview has to be repeated.

Where does wai keep our records?

A clinic in Wales has its records hosted in the United Kingdom, encrypted, with a full audit log. We set this up with you before go-live.

Across the UK

  1. Read nextCQC, England
  2. Read nextHealthcare Improvement Scotland
  3. Read nextRQIA, Northern Ireland
  4. Read nextAI scribe for UK clinics
  5. Read nextClinic management software
  6. Read nextSecurity

See how an independent clinic in Wales runs on one system

Fifteen minutes on video, with your own diary, notes and inbox. Built to help you achieve an inspection with no improvement plan required. A clinic in Wales has its records hosted in the United Kingdom.

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team@wellnessa-i.com

Sources

  1. 1HIW, 2025How does HIW inspect independent services?Read source
  2. 2HIW, 2026Independent hospitals, clinics and medical agenciesRead source
  3. 3HIW, 2026Independent Healthcare Inspection Report (Announced), Clinig Byw'n Iach, The Lifestyle Clinic, 21 April 2026Read source
  4. 4HIW, 2026Guidance for registering as an independent healthcare providerRead source
  5. 5Harvard Business Review, 2011The Short Life of Online Sales LeadsRead source
  6. 6JAMA Network Open, 2025Clinician Experiences With Ambient Scribe Technology to Assist With Documentation Burden and EfficiencyRead source
  7. 7BMJ Open, 2016Using digital notifications to improve attendance in clinic, systematic review and meta-analysisRead source
  8. 8HIW, 2026Caution issued to provider using unregistered laser servicesRead source