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For health facilities licensed in Bahrain, الهيئة الوطنية لتنظيم المهن والخدمات الصحية

NHRA software for Bahrain's clinics, centres and hospitals, built to help you achieve Diamond accreditation.

wai runs booking, clinical notes, patient messaging in Arabic, English or any language, payments and records for Bahrain's clinics, centres and hospitals, and keeps each of them as evidence an NHRA inspector or survey team can read. Notes are written during the consultation for the doctor to sign and replies are drafted for your team to approve, so the record behind your licence and your accreditation is complete on any day NHRA asks for it.

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Updated . Every NHRA fact is checked against nhra.bh and the other official pages cited below.

Two women talking in a tall stone lobby, the sun setting over the sea through a wall of glass

For

Private clinics, medical centres, day surgery and dental centres, hospitals and health systems

Regulator

National Health Regulatory Authority, الهيئة الوطنية لتنظيم المهن والخدمات الصحية

Framework

Facility licence and inspection, national accreditation on a four-year cycle, incident reporting

Records

Hosted in each clinic's own country, under that country's rules

For clinics, centres and health systems

  1. Private clinicsA licence renewed on time after NHRA's announced inspection, and a medical record that meets its checklist.
  2. Medical, dental and day surgery centresAccreditation against 29 elements in 7 sections, and a category patients can see.
  3. Hospitals and health systems41 elements in 8 sections, a four-year cycle and a Quality Improvement Plan every year.
  4. Multi-site groupsEvery branch on the same record, inbox and reports, ready for each branch's own survey.

What an NHRA survey finds with wai

With wai, a patient who writes in Arabic at night has a reply drafted for your team by morning, the doctor signs the note before the next patient, and every file a surveyor opens holds the note, consent and results together. The Application Readiness Assessment Form draws on the same live records, and so does the annual Quality Improvement Plan.

What does NHRA ask of a health facility in 2026?

Five areas, from the facility licence to the patient's consent and complaint.

Five areas NHRA regulates, from the licence to the complaint. Open one for the rules behind it.1

01Facility licensingNo one may establish, manage or operate a private health facility in Bahrain without NHRA's prior licence, under Legislative Decree No. 21 of 2015. New applications go through Sijilat, and changes to services or capacity through Munshaat.5 requirements
  1. A prior licence from NHRA before any facility opens
  2. A responsible director for every facility, the licensed doctor for a private clinic
  3. A project proposal, engineering drawings and the NHRA application form
  4. Renewal in the three months before the licence expires
  5. No change of services, location or capacity before NHRA approves it

Facility licensing on nhra.bh

02Licensing inspectionNHRA's inspectors check each facility against its licence requirements in an announced inspection before renewal, using a checklist for each service, and may inspect unannounced after a complaint or reported violation.4 elements
  1. Annual announced inspection within three months of the renewal date
  2. Unannounced inspection in response to a complaint or violation
  3. Checklist annexes, including General Requirements, Quality, Security and Safety, Medical Records and Staff
  4. Full renewal, conditional licence, or deferred or denied renewal

Licensing inspection on nhra.bh

03National accreditationNHRA's Accreditation & Quality Group surveys hospitals and centres against its own standards on a four-year cycle. Accreditation is a condition for a private facility's licence to remain in operation.5 standards
  1. Accreditation Standards for Hospitals, Edition 2, V0.6, January 2024, 41 elements in 8 sections
  2. Accreditation Standards for Medical Centers, Edition 2, V0.6, November 2023, 29 elements in 7 sections
  3. Core elements for every facility, support and facility-specific elements where they apply
  4. Standards tagged Required (REQ), Essential (ESS) and Enhanced Quality Practice (EQP)
  5. NHRA Accreditation Policy V3.0, April 2026

National accreditation on nhra.bh

04Incidents and sentinel eventsEvery facility, government or private, must run an incident management and reporting system and report sentinel events to NHRA, under its Incident Reporting Policy.5 requirements
  1. An incident reporting policy, process and form that all staff know
  2. Named staff responsible for managing incident reporting
  3. Sentinel events reported to NHRA within 5 working days
  4. The full internal investigation, with root cause analysis, within 45 days
  5. Trend reports used for improvement

Incidents and sentinel events on nhra.bh

05Consent, records and complaintsNHRA's National Informed Consent Policy sets how consent is taken and recorded, its records policy sets how long records are kept, and its complaints section hears patients' complaints about professionals and facilities.4 instruments
  1. National Informed Consent Policy, April 2026, eight elements of a valid consent
  2. Retention and Destruction of Medical Records Policy, March 2021
  3. Medical complaints to NHRA by eService, email, Tawasul or in person
  4. Patient-Centered Care, a core section of both accreditation standards

Consent, records and complaints on nhra.bh

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What does an NHRA inspector or surveyor look at?

Six things NHRA's inspection and accreditation policies name.2

  1. 01

    Documents

    Reviewed off site before an accreditation visit, collated electronically, with confidential documents shown on site.

  2. 02

    Medical records

    Checked against NHRA's Medical Records checklist, and read by a physician inspector where needed.

  3. 03

    Interviews

    With leadership and staff, and with a physician only after the consultation ends.

  4. 04

    The facility

    A tour and visits to every service area the licence covers.

  5. 05

    Licence scope

    Services actually running, which must match those licensed.

  6. 06

    Quality Improvement Plan

    After the award, updated and submitted to NHRA every year.

How does NHRA rate an accredited facility?

Surveyors rate each standard, and the score on the REQ and ESS standards sets the category.3

  1. Diamond95% or above
  2. Platinum90% to 94%
  3. Gold80% to 89%
  4. Silver70% to 79%
  5. Below 70%Refusal, suspension or withdrawal, with six months to act

  1. 4 years

    is the NHRA accreditation cycle, with fees paid and a Quality Improvement Plan submitted every year.4

  2. 8 to 12 weeks

    after the last survey day, NHRA communicates its accreditation decision.3

  3. 27

    hospitals were on NHRA's list of accredited hospitals in August 2026, 19 of them Diamond.5

  • Each standard is rated Fully Met, Met (70 to 99%), Partially Met (30 to 69%), Not Met (under 30%), Not Assessed or Not Applicable.
  • More than 2% High Priority recommendations brings conditional accreditation, with up to six months to correct them.
  • A Critical Priority recommendation suspends the service at once, and the facility confirms in writing within two working days.
  • A facility may appeal a refusal, a score of 70 to 79%, or a suspension, in writing to the CEO within one month.

What has changed for Bahrain facilities?

Four things a Bahrain facility should know in October 2026.

  1. NHRA issued Accreditation Policy V3.0 on 7 April 2026, updating version 2.2 of September 2024. It sets four award categories, six compliance ratings and a four-year cycle.
  2. Circular No. 2 of 2026, dated 5 February 2026, tells private hospitals and health centres to apply for evaluation and accreditation at least three months before their licence expires, so the licence is renewed on time and late renewal fines are avoided.1
  3. The cycle has been four years since Circular No. 25 of 2023. Resolution No. 26 of 2016 and some of NHRA's own section pages still say three.
  4. The National Informed Consent Policy of 8 April 2026 accepts electronic or digital signatures, signed by the patient at the facility. NHRA's quality metrics for hospitals and medical centres are marked not yet implemented.

Licence and accreditation, two processes

NHRA runs the licence and the accreditation separately, with different teams and different questions.

  1. NHRA's inspectors handle the licence. They check that a facility meets its licence requirements and stays within its licensed scope, in an announced inspection before each renewal and unannounced after a complaint.6
  2. NHRA's surveyors handle accreditation. They assess quality against the accreditation standards, and the National Accreditation Committee recommends the award, which NHRA's CEO approves.
  3. The two meet at renewal. Circular No. 2 of 2026 asks private hospitals and centres to apply for accreditation at least three months before the licence expires, and a refused or withdrawn accreditation leads to the suspension of the facility's licence once the six-month correction periods run out.

NHRA fees for 2026

The licensing and accreditation fees NHRA publishes. All are annual, and a late fee is charged at double under Article 28 of Decree No. 21 of 2015.7

FacilityNew licenceLicence renewalAccreditation, yearly
Hospital, under 50 bedsBD 2,000BD 1,000BD 5,000
Hospital, 51 to 100 bedsBD 3,000BD 2,000BD 7,000
Hospital, over 100 bedsBD 4,000BD 3,000BD 10,000
Medical centre, general or specialisedBD 1,000BD 800BD 500 to 1,500, by number of services
Private clinicBD 300BD 200BD 300

NHRA in Arabic

The Arabic names of the bodies and systems on this page.

  1. الهيئة الوطنية لتنظيم المهن والخدمات الصحية, the National Health Regulatory Authority.8
  2. مجموعة الاعتماد والجودة, the Accreditation & Quality Group.
  3. قسم تنظيم المؤسسات الصحية, the Health Facilities Regulation Section.
  4. قسم الشكاوى والتحقيقات الطبية, the Medical Complaints & Investigation Section.
  5. منشآت, Munshaat, NHRA's facilities portal, and مهن, Mehan, its professionals portal.

What should clinic software in Bahrain actually run?

Each module runs part of the facility and records the evidence for the requirements listed beside it.

  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 Facility licensingConsent, records and complaints

    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 Consent, records and complaints

    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
    What was charged, when, against which visit, and the policy the patient saw.
  3. 03

    AI scribe and clinical notes

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

    Evidences Licensing inspectionNational accreditationConsent, records and complaints

    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 Consent, records and complaintsNational accreditation

    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 Incidents and sentinel eventsLicensing inspectionConsent, records and complaints

    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, and role-based access enforced in the database, so every action sits under a name.

    Evidences Facility licensingLicensing inspection

    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 National accreditationIncidents and sentinel eventsFacility licensing

    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 in a suit crossing a sunlit stone atrium, a tall tree growing beneath a wall of glass

How does wai evidence each NHRA requirement?

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

Facility licensing

Systems running before the licence inspection.

  • Online booking, reminders and waitlist offers live from the first day
  • Named accounts for every person, with role-based access
  • Records hosted in the facility's own country, under its rules
  • Reports for any period, ready for the renewal inspection

On request. Show the systems an inspector asks about, running on real patients.

For patients
A facility that works properly from the first visit.
For the business
A licence issued and renewed without a scramble.

Licensing inspection

Medical records that meet the checklist, on every file.

  • Notes written from the consultation, signed and timed
  • Referrals, investigations and the treatment plan on the same record
  • Every read and change of a record logged against a named account
  • Role-based access enforced in the database

On request. Asked for a medical record, open it. The note, referrals and history are together.

For patients
A complete record, read only by the people whose role allows it.
For the business
A full renewal, with no two-week notice letter.

National accreditation

Evidence that stays current across the four-year cycle.

  • Signed, timed notes with the consent discussion in them
  • The whole patient conversation on one record, with response times
  • Reports for any period, for the readiness form and the yearly plan
  • Who saw what, who changed what, and when, to the minute

On request. Pull the records for any standard, for any period, on the day the survey team asks.

For patients
Care that meets the same standard on every visit.
For the business
A higher category, and fewer recommendations to close.

Incidents and sentinel events

An incident review that starts from the audit trail.

  • Every read and change of a record, with a time and a name
  • The signed note as it stood, and every amendment after it
  • Referrals and patient flags at the point of care
  • Reports for any period, for trend reviews

On request. Send NHRA a copy of the medical record and the times it shows, within the five days.

For patients
A facility that learns from what went wrong.
For the business
Investigations completed inside 45 days, from records already kept.

Consent, records and complaints

Consent, records and the patient's own words, on one record.

  • The recording consent the patient gave at booking
  • The consent discussion in the signed note
  • Replies drafted in the patient's own language, for your team to approve
  • The patient's record exportable when they ask for it

On request. Show what the patient was told, when they agreed, and every message since.

For patients
Information in a language they understand, and time to ask questions.
For the business
Fewer complaints, and each one answered from the record.

What do patients and the business gain?

Published research on response times, ambient scribes and appointment reminders.

  1. 7x

    An enquiry answered within the hour is nearly seven times as likely to become a real conversation.9

  2. 30%

    Clinicians using an ambient scribe did 30% less work after hours.10

  3. 23%

    Patients sent a notification before their visit were 23% more likely to attend.11

How does wai surface NHRA evidence on request?

What may be asked for, where it is kept in wai, and how it is produced.

  1. Medical recordsThe patient record, beside the transcriptOpen the consultation to see the note, transcript, signature and time together.
  2. ConsentThe booking and the noteThe recording consent the patient gave at booking, and the consent discussion in the note.
  3. Audit trailsEvery recordWho read or changed it, under which account, to the minute.
  4. Staff accessAccounts and rolesWho holds which role, and every action taken under it.
  5. Patient communicationThe patient's threadEvery message, in Arabic, English or any language, with response times.
  6. ChargesPaymentsWhat was charged, when, against which visit, and the policy the patient saw.
  7. Sentinel event fileThe record and the audit trailThe medical record and its full history, ready for NHRA within five working days.
  8. Readiness form dataReportsFront desk, response, takings and website reports, for any period.

How do you prepare for NHRA inspection and accreditation?

A readiness checklist in four parts.

01The licence

  • Licence current, and the renewal started in the three months before it expires.
  • A responsible director named, and every professional licensed by NHRA.
  • Services running match the services licensed.
  • Fees paid on time, since a late fee is charged at double.

02Before the survey

  • Application Readiness Assessment Form sent in English, three months before the survey.
  • Accreditation fee paid, since logistics start only after payment.
  • Every document collated electronically for submission before the visit.
  • A central room for the survey team, with internet access and parking.

03Medical records

  • Five records a physician inspector could read cold, signed and timed.
  • Consent recorded to NHRA's April 2026 policy.
  • Referrals, investigations and the treatment plan on every record.
  • A retention schedule, with archived records logged on every access.

04Safety and patients

  • An incident policy, process and form that every member of staff knows.
  • A named lead who reports sentinel events within five working days.
  • A complaints route patients can find, in Arabic and English.
  • Last year's Quality Improvement Plan updated and sent.

What will an NHRA surveyor or inspector ask you?

Questions to expect, what to show, and where wai holds the answer.

01Walk us through how a patient is admitted, seen and followed up.

What to show

The pathway, and a record that shows it happened.

Where wai has it ready

Booking, the signed note, referrals and the follow-up messages sit on one record, with times.

02Show me this patient's medical record.

What to show

A complete record, with the diagnosis, investigations, treatment plan and consent.

Where wai has it ready

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

03How do patients give consent, and in which language?

What to show

What the patient was told, when they agreed, and who witnessed it.

Where wai has it ready

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

04How do you report and learn from incidents?

What to show

The policy, the form, the last sentinel event report and what changed after it.

Where wai has it ready

The audit trail gives the review its timeline, to the minute and under named accounts.

05Who can see patient records, and how is that controlled?

What to show

Roles, access levels and an access log.

Where wai has it ready

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

06How do you hear from patients, and what do you do with it?

What to show

Complaints, feedback and the changes they led to.

Where wai has it ready

Every message in one thread per patient, with response times, and reports for any period.

07How do you use AI in care?

What to show

Where AI is used, and who decides.

Where wai has it ready

AI drafts the note and the reply. The clinician signs, and a person approves every message.

What is at stake with NHRA?

Bahrain ties accreditation to the licence, and its law sets fines and prison terms for the most serious breaches.

  1. BD 20,000

    is the highest total fine NHRA's Accountability Committee can impose on a facility, beside a daily fine of up to BD 1,000.12

  2. 1 year

    of imprisonment is the maximum under Decree No. 21 of 2015 for running an unlicensed facility, withholding records or obstructing NHRA's inspectors.12

  3. 946

    health facilities across 29 categories were on NHRA's facilities finder in January 2026.13

Request a demoEmail us

NHRA guides

All NHRA guides
  1. LicenceHow do you license a health facility with NHRA in Bahrain?8 min read
  2. ReadinessHow do you prepare for an NHRA inspection and accreditation survey?9 min read
  3. DocumentsWhich policies and documents does NHRA expect a facility to keep?8 min read
  4. EvidenceHow do you organise evidence for an NHRA accreditation survey?8 min read
  5. Survey dayWhat happens on the day of an NHRA survey or inspection?7 min read
  6. IncidentsHow do you report incidents and handle complaints under NHRA rules?8 min read
  7. PatientsWhat does NHRA expect of patient experience, and how do you make yours world class?8 min read

Questions

What is the best software for NHRA accreditation?

The best NHRA software is the system your facility already runs on, so the evidence is a by-product of the work. Look for one record behind booking, notes, messaging in Arabic and English, payments and access, a full audit trail, and reports for any period. wai is built that way, to help you achieve Diamond NHRA accreditation.

Is there NHRA approved clinic software?

The National Health Regulatory Authority licenses health facilities and professionals and accredits hospitals and centres. It does not approve, certify or endorse software, wai included, and software cannot earn an accreditation award on a provider's behalf. wai keeps the records your team uses to show NHRA how care is delivered, and NHRA decides the accreditation award.

Is NHRA accreditation mandatory?

For private hospitals and health centres, yes. NHRA's April 2026 policy makes accreditation a condition for a facility's licence to remain in operation, and Circular No. 2 of 2026 asks them to apply at least three months before the licence expires.

How long does NHRA accreditation last?

Four years, under Circular No. 25 of 2023 and the April 2026 policy. Fees are paid every year, the Quality Improvement Plan is updated and sent every year, and a full re-accreditation survey comes before the cycle ends.

What is the difference between an NHRA inspection and an accreditation survey?

Inspectors check the licence requirements before each renewal, or unannounced after a complaint. Surveyors assess quality against NHRA's accreditation standards, once in each four-year cycle, with yearly follow-up.

How much does NHRA accreditation cost?

Annual fees under Resolution No. 20 of 2016 are BD 5,000, 7,000 or 10,000 for a hospital by bed count, and BD 500, 1,000 or 1,500 for a centre by the number of services. NHRA starts survey logistics only once the fee is paid.

Does wai work in Arabic?

Yes, wai drafts replies in the language the patient writes in, Arabic, English or any other, for your team to approve, and answers intake questions by voice in any language.

Where does wai keep our records?

In its own country, under that country's rules, encrypted, with a full audit log. We set this up with you before go-live.

Across the Gulf

  1. Read nextAll regulators
  2. Read nextJCI accreditation
  3. Read nextMinistry of Public Health, Qatar
  4. Read nextMinistry of Health, Kuwait
  5. Read nextMinistry of Health, Oman
  6. Read nextDHA, the Dubai Health Authority
  7. Read nextClinic management software
  8. Read nextSecurity and data residency
  9. Read nextPricing for clinics, groups and hospitals

See how wai keeps the record an NHRA survey team reads.

Fifteen minutes on video, on your own diary, notes and patient messages. Built to help you achieve Diamond NHRA accreditation. wai hosts each clinic's records in its own country, under that country's rules. We set this up with you before go-live.

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team@wellnessa-i.com

Sources

  1. 1National Health Regulatory Authority, 2026NHRA Accreditation Policy V3.0, issued 7 April 2026Read source
  2. 2National Health Regulatory Authority, 2017Inspection Policy, Health Care Facilities, February 2017Read source
  3. 3National Health Regulatory Authority, 2026NHRA Accreditation Policy V3.0, issued 7 April 2026Read source
  4. 4National Health Regulatory Authority, 2023Circular No. (25) of 2023, updates to the process of the National Accreditation Program, 22 October 2023Read source
  5. 5National Health Regulatory Authority, 2026NHRA Accredited Hospitals, August 2026Read source
  6. 6National Health Regulatory Authority, 2026Circular No. (2) of 2026 on the evaluation and accreditation of private health facilities, 5 February 2026 (Arabic)Read source
  7. 7National Health Regulatory Authority, 2026Healthcare facilities licensing and accreditation feesRead source
  8. 8National Health Regulatory Authority, 2026الهيئة الوطنية لتنظيم المهن والخدمات الصحيةRead source
  9. 9Harvard Business Review, 2011The Short Life of Online Sales LeadsRead source
  10. 10JAMA Network Open, 2025Clinician Experiences With Ambient Scribe Technology to Assist With Documentation Burden and EfficiencyRead source
  11. 11BMJ Open, 2016Using digital notifications to improve attendance in clinic, systematic review and meta-analysisRead source
  12. 12National Health Regulatory Authority, 2015Legislative Decree No. (21) of 2015 on Private Health Facilities, English textRead source
  13. 13National Health Regulatory Authority, 2026Distribution of Health Facilities in the Governorates of the Kingdom of Bahrain, healthcare facilities finder, updated 6 January 2026Read source