RCT Registrar’s Update September 2015

Professional Standards Authority Application

I am delighted to be able to announce that the Register of Clinical Technologists has received accreditation from the Professional Standards Authority with effect from 7^th September 2015.

Accreditation means that the RCT has met the Authority’s demanding standards in the following areas: governance, setting standards, education and training, managing the register, providing information and complaints handling.

It also means that you, as an RCT registrant, can use the quality mark to show that you meet the far reaching standards of our register – see below for more guidance on this.

Harry Cayton, Chief Executive of the Professional Standards Authority has said:

“We are very pleased to accredit the Register of Clinical Technologists. Bringing these practitioners into a broad framework of assurance is good for patients, service users and the public and is the best way to promote quality. The programme offers a new layer of protection for people receiving health services, and gives Clinical Technologists the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to good practice.”

Accreditation does not of course imply that the Authority has assessed the merits of individuals on the register: this remains the responsibility of the RCT. Accredited Registers require their registrants to meet standards of personal behaviour, technical competence and, where applicable, business practice.

I would like to encourage all registrants to let their employer, their colleagues and their patients know that they are a practitioner on an Accredited Register. The Management Panel has approved a new leaflet aimed at patients and service users, which explains what the Register is and how it protects them – we will be adding the PSA’s quality mark to this leaflet, and will let you know when it is available, so that you can order some for your department.

My thanks go to all members of the Management Panel, and the team in the IPEM office, for all the hard work that went into the very demanding assessment process leading to accreditation. I hope that you, as Registrants, will feel new pride in your place on an Accredited Register.

Guidance for Registrants on an Accredited Register from the PSA:

Do:

·       Highlight to your service users, commissioners or employers that you are a member of a register that is accredited by the Authority.

·       Use the phrase ‘I am on a register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority’.

·       Tell your audiences that the accredited registers programme was set up by the Government to improve standards and safety for the benefit of the public.

·       Emphasise that being on an accredited register demonstrates your commitment to high professional standards, to enhancing safety and delivering a better service.

·       When you have been notified by the organisation with which you are registered, display the accreditation mark where appropriate – in your premises, on your masthead, in your email signature and on your website. You should follow guidance provided by your organisation (see below).

Don’t:

·       Mislead anyone about what accreditation means.

·       Claim that you are accredited by the Authority. The register is accredited. You are on an Accredited Register.

·       Claim that any treatment or service you provide is endorsed by the Authority or by the government.

·       Display the accreditation mark before you have been notified by the organisation with which you are registered. The RCT will advise on how you should use it (see below).

·       Continue to use the accreditation mark if you cease to be on an Accredited Register.

Below is the Accredited Register quality mark for you to use on your email signature or website etc. If you would like to use this in an alternative format, please contact us, as the PSA places restrictions on its usage:

The RCT Registrar