RQIA guides
Each guide answers one question a provider in Northern Ireland asks about RQIA, from the official sources it cites. There are 4 guides across 4 topics, last checked on 15 October 2026.
Step-by-step guides to preparing for RQIA, from registration to the quality improvement plan, each with templates you can copy and the sources behind it. Each guide ends with how wai does the work.
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How the guides map to the RQIA framework
The hub sets out the 4 headings RQIA works to, and the guides take them one task at a time.
The 4 headings on the RQIA hub
- Is care safe?, 4 indicators on the hub. Avoiding and preventing harm to service users from the care, treatment and support that is intended to help them.
- Is care effective?, 3 indicators on the hub. The right care, at the right time in the right place with the best outcome.
- Is care compassionate?, 3 indicators on the hub. Service users are treated with dignity and respect and are fully involved in decisions affecting their treatment, care and support.
- Is the service well led?, 5 indicators on the hub. Effective leadership, management and governance which creates a culture focused on the needs and experiences of service users.
The 4 topics the guides are filed under
- Registration, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. RQIA registration for an independent clinic.
- Inspection, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. Preparing for an RQIA private doctor inspection.
- After inspection, 1 guide and about 7 minutes of reading. RQIA areas for improvement and the QIP.
- Laser and IPL, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. Records RQIA checks at a cosmetic laser service.
Questions about the RQIA guides
Which RQIA guide should I read first?
Start with RQIA registration for an independent clinic, the first guide on this page, about 8 minutes of reading, filed under Registration. The other 3 each stand on their own, so take them in the order your own preparation needs.
How do these guides relate to the RQIA hub?
The RQIA hub sets out the 4 headings RQIA works to and how wai evidences each one. Each guide goes one level down, to a single task, with steps to follow, a template to copy, answers to common questions and the sources behind it.
How current are the RQIA guides?
Every guide shows the date its facts were checked against the official sources it cites. All 4 were checked on 15 October 2026, the same date the hub shows beside its Updated line.
Are the RQIA guides legal advice?
They are guidance, not legal advice, written from what RQIA publishes, with a link to the source for each fact. RQIA does not endorse wai or any software, and the determination for your organisation is decided by RQIA.
How do I request a demo for RQIA?
Request a demo from this page and it reaches the wai team with RQIA already named, so the call starts from RQIA rather than a general tour. You can also write to team@wellnessa-i.com.
See how an independent clinic in Northern Ireland runs on one system
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