How do I obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for my private practice?
Which DBS check a private GP needs, how to get one when you are self-employed, what the CQC will and will not accept, and how to check your staff.
The short answer
As a self-employed private GP you apply for an enhanced DBS check with the relevant barred list through a DBS umbrella body, or through the clinic or hospital you work with. If you are registering your own service with the CQC, the certificate must be the original paper copy and no more than 12 months old, because the CQC does not accept Update Service checks for registration. In Scotland the equivalent is PVG scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland, and in Northern Ireland an AccessNI check.
Key points
- Private GPs need an enhanced check with the adults’ barred list, and the children’s list too if you see under-18s.
- You cannot apply directly to DBS. Self-employed people use a DBS umbrella body, which adds its own admin fee.
- The DBS fee for an enhanced check falls from £49.50 to £41 on 5 October 2026, and the Update Service from £16 to £15 a year.
- For CQC registration, send your original enhanced certificate, issued within the last 12 months. Update Service checks are not accepted.
- When you employ staff, you are responsible for their checks under CQC regulation 19.
Which check you need
DBS offers four levels of check. For clinical work in a private GP service, the relevant one is the enhanced check with barred list(s).
| Check | What it shows | DBS fee from 5 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Unspent convictions and cautions | £20 |
| Standard | Spent and unspent convictions and cautions, subject to filtering | £20 |
| Enhanced | As standard, plus relevant information held by local police | £41 |
| Enhanced with barred list(s) | As enhanced, plus a check of the children’s and/or adults’ barred lists | £41 |
Until 4 October 2026 the fees were £21.50 for basic and standard checks and £49.50 for enhanced checks. Check the current fees on GOV.UK before you apply.
Providing health care to adults as a doctor is regulated activity, so you are eligible for the adults’ barred list check. If you see children, add the children’s barred list. Umbrella bodies charge an administration fee on top of the DBS fee, so the total you pay will be higher.
Who will ask to see it
- The CQC, if you register your own service in England as an individual provider, partner or registered manager.
- A private hospital or clinic, as part of granting practising privileges or engaging you.
- An online provider you consult for.
- You, as an employer, for anyone who works in your service.
The GMC does not require you to hold a DBS certificate to stay on the register. Your NHS employer’s or performers list check does not automatically transfer to private work either, because each organisation must be satisfied with its own checks.
How to apply when you are self-employed
Individuals cannot apply to DBS for an enhanced check themselves. The application must go through a registered body. Organisations submitting more than 100 checks a year can register with DBS directly. Everyone else uses an umbrella body, which is a registered body that processes checks for others.
Since January 2026, DBS guidance has confirmed that self-employed people can apply for their own enhanced or enhanced with barred list check through an umbrella body, if their role is eligible.
- Find an umbrella body on the GOV.UK list, filtered for those that process checks for self-employed people. Compare their admin fees and turnaround.
- Confirm eligibility. The umbrella body checks that your role qualifies for an enhanced check and which barred lists apply.
- Prove your identity using the DBS identity documents. Many umbrella bodies offer digital identity checks.
- Complete the application in your current name and list all previous names. This matters for CQC registration, which requires your DBS check to include the name you are registered under with the GMC.
- Consider joining the Update Service when you apply, using your application reference, or within 30 days of the certificate being issued.
If you work for a clinic or hospital, it may apply on your behalf under its own arrangements. Ask before you pay for your own.
What the CQC accepts
If you are registering your own service, the CQC’s rules are strict, and an unacceptable certificate means your application is rejected:
- It must be an enhanced check with the barred list(s) that match the ages you will see.
- It must be no more than 12 months old when you apply.
- As a GMC-registered doctor you post the original paper certificate to the CQC, which returns it by registered post. A copy or an online print is not accepted.
- The CQC does not accept checks through the DBS Update Service for registration, because it cannot verify your identity against the certificate in person.
- Non-clinical managers, who are not registered health professionals, need a CQC-countersigned enhanced check instead.
The CQC says a certificate can take up to 60 days, so apply early. See how to register with the CQC and how long registration takes.
The Update Service
The Update Service keeps your standard or enhanced certificate up to date so you can reuse it. It costs £15 a year from 5 October 2026, down from £16. You must join within 30 days of the certificate being issued, or at the point of application. Organisations you work with can then check its status online with your permission, instead of asking for a new check. It is useful if you work for several clinics or online providers. Remember that it does not help with CQC registration itself.
Checking your own staff
Once you employ or engage people, regulation 19 of the 2014 Regulations requires you to hold specified information about each person, including a DBS check where the role is eligible. Most small practices use an umbrella body for this too. For each person:
- decide the right level of check for the role. Clinical staff seeing patients usually need an enhanced check with the adults’ barred list, and the children’s list if relevant
- see the original certificate, or check the Update Service with their consent, and record the date and outcome
- have a written policy on how you assess any information disclosed, and on rechecking
- keep the records secure and only as long as you need them.
Rechecking frequency is not set in law. Decide it in your recruitment policy and apply it consistently. Recruitment checks are one of the things the CQC looks at, as covered in will the CQC want to inspect me?
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Wales uses DBS, as England does.
- Scotland uses Disclosure Scotland. Since 1 April 2025, anyone doing a regulated role with children or protected adults must be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. From 1 April 2026, membership lasts five years and then needs renewing. At the time of review the fee for joining was £59.
- Northern Ireland uses AccessNI, which issues basic, standard and enhanced checks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my NHS DBS check for private work?
Only if the organisation you work with accepts it. For CQC registration it must be your own enhanced certificate, less than 12 months old and sent as the original paper copy.
How long does a DBS check take?
Many are completed within a few weeks, but it depends on the police forces involved. The CQC says to allow up to 60 days, so apply well before you need it.
Do I need a new check for each clinic I work at?
Not necessarily. If you subscribe to the Update Service, each clinic can check your certificate’s status online with your permission. Some organisations still insist on their own check.
What if something appears on my certificate?
The CQC and employers consider disclosures as part of assessing whether you are fit to do the role. Be open about it and take advice from your medical defence organisation if it may affect your application.
Sources
- DBS checks for self-employed people and personal employees
- DBS check requests: guidance for employers
- DBS Update Service
- DBS checks for CQC registration
- Five-year PVG scheme membership now in place
- The Fees for Scheme Membership and Disclosure Applications (Scotland) Regulations 2025
- DBS reduces fees for checks and Update Service from 5 October 2026
