Professional regulation

Healthcare regulation

In order to ensure that all health care professionals remain safe to practise, their professions are regulated. There are 9 health professional regulatory bodies which protect and promote the safety of the public. They do this by:

  • setting the standards of behaviour, competence and education that health care professionals must meet;
  • dealing with concerns from patients, the public and others about health professionals who are unfit to practise because of poor health, misconduct or poor performance;
  • keeping registers of health professionals who are fit to practise in the UK and setting the standards for periodic re-registration for each profession. The regulators can remove professionals from their registers and prevent them from practising if they consider this to be in the best interests of the public.

The health professional regulators

Between them, the 9 regulators register and regulate approximately 1.2million health professionals working across the UK, including the Isle of Man, in 30 different health professions. These health professionals must, by law, register with 1 of the 9 regulators in order to practise.

The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CRHE) is an independent organisation which is accountable to the UK parliament. Its main job is to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and other members of the public in the UK, including the Isle of Man. The CRHE works with all 9 regulators, working with them to improve the way the professions are regulated; it carries out research, develops policy and provides advice to government on the regulation of health care professionals.

Regulator

Profession(s) regulated

Nursing and Midwifery Council

http://www.nmc-uk.org

Telephone: 020 7333 9333
  • NursesMidwives

Health Professions Council (HPC)

http://www.hpc-uk.org

Telephone: 020 7582 0866
  • Arts therapists
  • Biomedical scientists
  • Chiropodists/podiatrists
  • Clinical scientists
  • Dietitians
  • Hearing aid dispensers
  • Occupational therapists
  • Operating department practitioners
  • Orthoptists
  • Paramedics
  • Physiotherapists
  • Practitioner psychologists
  • Prosthetists/orthotists
  • Radiographers
  • Speech and language therapists

General Medical Council (GMC)

http://www.gmc-uk.org

Telephone: 0161 923 6602
  • Doctors

General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

http://www.pharmacyregulation.org

Telephone: 020 3365 3400
  • Pharmacists

General Dental Council (GDC)

http://www.gdc-uk.org

Telephone: 0845 222 4141
  • Dentists
  • Dental nurses
  • Dental technicians
  • Dental hygienists
  • Dental therapists
  • Clinical dental technicians
  • Orthodontic therapists

General Optical Council (GOC)

http://www.optical.org

Telephone: 020 7580 3839
  • Optometrists
  • Dispensing opticians
  • Student opticians
  • Optical businesses

General Chiropractic Council (GCC)

http://www.gcc-uk.org

Telephone: 0845 601 1796
  • Chiropractors

General Osteopathic Council (GOsC)

http://www.osteopathy.org.uk

Telephone: 020 7357 6655
  • Osteopaths

Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)

http://www.psni.org.uk

Telephone: 02890 326927
  • Pharmacists