Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on volunteer mountain rescue teams; and if he will introduce an exemption to ensure that rescue cover provided by such teams is not classified as a regulated activity requiring registration with the Care Quality Commission.

Registration is only required where the service is providing the regulated activity of Treatment of Disease, Disorder or Injury by, or under the supervision of, specified healthcare professionals. Organisations providing exclusively first aid may be out of scope of these changes.

The Care Quality Commission will commence a consultation, starting on 8 May 2026, which will provide opportunities for further consideration around the appropriate implementation of the regulation to sectors such as individual clinicians, volunteers and mountain rescue services. This includes a separate stream specifically for mountain rescue.