Yes, a legitimate UK online menopause clinic is regulated, and by more than one body. The useful question is not whether regulation exists but which registers you can search yourself, because a website saying it is regulated is not evidence and every regulator here publishes a free public register you can check in about ten minutes.
The four registers, and what each one proves
- •The CQC, for the provider. In England, a service providing treatment of disease, disorder or injury must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. The register is public and shows the registered provider, the regulated activities and any inspection reports. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own equivalents.
- •The NMC or the GMC, for the person prescribing. A nurse prescriber appears on the NMC register with an independent prescriber annotation. A doctor appears on the GMC register. This is the one that proves a real, currently registered, qualified individual is responsible for your prescription.
- •The GPhC, for the pharmacy. Whoever dispenses and posts your medication must be a registered pharmacy. The General Pharmaceutical Council register lists it by name and number.
- •The ICO, for your data. Any organisation in the UK handling health records must be registered with the Information Commissioner's Office as a data controller. Health data is special category data and the obligations are higher than for ordinary personal data.
Note what the CQC register does and does not tell you. It covers the provider carrying out the regulated activity, which is not always the brand on the website. Where one company arranges care and a registered clinic delivers it, the registration sits with the clinic. That is a normal and lawful arrangement, but you are entitled to ask which registered provider is actually treating you, and a straight answer is a good sign.
The five things to ask before you pay
- •Who is my prescriber, by name, and what is her registration number? A service that will not name the clinician is the single clearest warning sign there is.
- •Which CQC-registered provider is delivering my care?
- •Which registered pharmacy dispenses my prescription?
- •Will you write to my GP? Your medical record should be complete, and a service that avoids your GP is avoiding the wrong thing.
- •What happens if something goes wrong out of hours, and who do I contact?
Warning signs worth walking away from
- •A prescription from a questionnaire with no consultation at all, for a treatment that needs monitoring.
- •No named clinician anywhere on the site, only a brand and a stock photograph.
- •Testosterone offered with no mention of blood monitoring. The dose used in women is small and specific and the treatment depends on being checked.
- •Prices that only appear after you have handed over your details.
- •Medication shipped from outside the UK, or a seller rather than a pharmacy. This is the genuinely unsafe route rather than the merely inconvenient one.
- •Pressure to buy a long commitment at the first contact, before anyone has assessed you.
Remote does not mean unregulated
A video consultation is a normal way to deliver menopause care, and it is regulated in the same way as a consultation in a room. What matters is that the clinician is registered, the pharmacy is registered, the provider is registered, and the monitoring actually happens. Convenience and proper regulation are not in tension, and a service that treats them as a trade-off is telling you which one it has dropped.
How Solene fits, and what you can check
Solene Health Limited is a UK company, number 17384685, registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under reference ZC216866. Care is delivered by a named independent nurse prescriber on the NMC register, working through a CQC-registered clinic, and prescriptions are dispensed by a registered UK pharmacy. Ask us for the prescriber's name and PIN and check it on the NMC register yourself. We would rather you did.
We also publish our prices in full rather than quoting on enquiry. They are all on our treatment plans page, and our privacy notice sets out how your records are handled.
Want to talk to a named, registered prescriber?
See what treatment costs, what each plan includes, and the prescriber you would be speaking to. Or map your symptoms first if you would rather start there.
Frequently asked questions
Are online menopause clinics regulated in the UK?
Yes. A legitimate service is covered by the CQC or its national equivalent for the provider, the NMC or GMC for the prescriber, the GPhC for the dispensing pharmacy, and the ICO for your health data. All four registers are public and free to search.
How do I check an online menopause clinic is legitimate?
Ask for the prescriber's name and registration number and search the NMC or GMC register. Then check the provider on the CQC register and the pharmacy on the GPhC register. It takes about ten minutes.
Is it safe to get HRT prescribed online?
It is safe when a registered prescriber has actually assessed you, a registered pharmacy dispenses it, and there is follow-up and monitoring. It is not safe from a seller with no consultation.
Does the clinic have to be CQC registered?
The provider carrying out the regulated activity must be, in England. Where a company arranges care that a registered clinic delivers, the registration sits with the clinic, so ask which registered provider is treating you.
Why does ICO registration matter?
Your menopause records are health data, which is special category data under UK data protection law. Any organisation holding it must be registered with the ICO as a data controller.
