Sonographers – new applicants

New applications from Sonographers to the RCT

Following the closure of the Public Voluntary Register of Sonographers (PVRS), the Register of Clinical Technologists (RCT) is now open for applications from sonographers.

Sonographers are welcome to become part of a PSA accredited register and will work with the RCT to continue our push for statutory registration for all our registrants.

They sit alongside the existing physics and engineering groups, and this is reflected in the revised Scope of Practice. As the RCT is accredited by the PSA it is better equipped to protect the public and is in a better position to meet the costs of PSA accreditation.  A move to a PSA accredited voluntary register was recommended by the PSA in their July 2019 report to Health Education England on the regulation of sonographers.


Primary Route Applications
Only applicants who have completed a CASE accredited qualification may apply via the primary route. You should submit your completed application along with verified copies of any CASE accredited certificates.

Scans/Photocopies of CASE accredited certificates should be signed by your proposers to verify that they have seen the original copy.

In addition to your application form and CASE accredited certificate you should also provide:

  1. A PDF copy of a detailed curriculum vitae which describes your education and work experience. This should list all posts held including dates, job title, grade (if appropriate) and brief details of the duties of each post. It should also include all educational and other achievements and details of any training undertaken.
  2. A PDF copy of an organisation chart showing your position in your current post (this must be initialled by both proposers).

Equivalence Route Applications

Applicants who have not completed a CASE accredited qualification should apply via the equivalence route.

The Register of Clinical Technologists (RCT) equivalence route is designed to enable technologists to achieve registration by demonstrating that their levels of knowledge and skills are at least equivalent to those offered by the relevant Scope of Practice and the RCT equivalence standards. For further details please see The Equivalence Route to the RCT and also the Equivalence FAQ’s.

An equivalence route application must provide a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates how they fulfill all aspects of the evidence criteria. This portfolio should be indexed using the sonography Evidence-Matrix. All supporting documents should be submitted along with the evidence matrix and completed RCT Sonography application form.

Please Note: Equivalence route applications submitted without a portfolio and completed evidence matrix document will not be accepted.

To assist you in completing your equivalence portfolio we are able to provide you with:

RCT equivalence route sonography portfolio Guidance Notes

RCT equivalence example portfolio 1: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

RCT equivalence example portfolio 2: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Please note that submitted portfolios may be checked for plagiarism using Turnitin.

Assessment

The assessment of an equivalence application will be carried out by two assessors. If the assessors are satisfied that equivalence has been demonstrated you will be advised in writing and formally added to the register.

In order to fulfil equivalence requirements a portfolio must demonstrate evidence of all evidence criteria.

If the assessors are not satisfied with the submission, they may:

a) offer comments on where there are weaknesses to be addressed; or
b) advise that equivalence has not been demonstrated and a formal training programme should be undertaken; or
c) invite the applicant for professional review.


Overseas Applicants

All applicants who trained overseas must apply via the equivalence route detailed above.

Applicants who trained in a country not recognised as one with a majority English speaking population by the United Kingdom Home Office must provide evidence of English language proficiency via either OET or IELTS. Grading requirements for both OET and IELTS can be found in the Equivalence FAQs.

Any applicant submitting overseas qualifications as evidence of suitability for registration must provide a UK ENIC statement of comparability.


References

Your proposers should be in a position to make informed comments on the scope and level of your sonography practice and, if possible, should be an employer or former employer. Friends and relatives are not acceptable. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, we will not accept references from referees who are not UK based. If possible, at least one referee should be registered with a statutory regulatory body in the UK such as the GMC, HCPC or NMC.


Further information 

Read more about the Equivalence Routes in an article from the IPEM SCOPE magazine. This article gives further details of the requirements for the routes and provides a brief summary of the RCT to date.


How to Apply

Please complete the relevant Primary Route or Equivalence Route application form and return this along with your supporting documents to the RCT via enquiries@therct.org.uk

Primary Route Application Form

RCT Equivalence Route Application Form

Application Checklists

Please ensure that when you submit your application form you include all of the documents required for your application route. Applications received with missing or incomplete documents will not be approved for RCT registration.

Primary Route:

  • Completed application form
  • CASE Accredited qualification certificate (initialed by your proposers)
  • Detailed curriculum vitae
  • Organisation chart showing your position in your current post (initialed by your proposers)

Equivalence Route:

  • Completed application form
  • Detailed curriculum vitae
  • Organisation chart showing your position in your current post (initialed by your proposers)
  • Portfolio of evidence demonstrating equivalence standards
  • Evidence Matrix document showing where each evidence standard is demonstrated in your equivalence portfolio
  • UK ENIC statement of comparability (Overseas trained applicants only)
  • OET or IELTS English language proficiency results (Overseas trained applicants only)

The Register of Clinical Technologists