About registers

A register lists health and care professionals who meet set standards of education, training, professional skills, conduct and health. Registers are searchable online. There are three kinds: statutory, accredited and voluntary.

Statutory registers

Statutory registers cover health and care professionals in occupations that Parliament has decided must be regulated. Examples include the General Medical Council (GMC) for doctors, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for nurses and midwives, and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for a range of health, psychological and social work professions. It is a criminal offence to practise in these occupations without being on the relevant register.

Regulators holding statutory registers must:

Set the standards of competence and conduct that professionals must meet to register and practise.
Check that education and training courses give students the skills and knowledge to practise safely and competently.
Maintain a publicly searchable register.
Investigate complaints about registrants and decide whether they can continue to practise or should be struck off.

Accredited registers

Accredited registers are a newer form of regulation, introduced by the government as an alternative to statutory registration. In 2012, the Health and Social Care Act gave the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) the role of accrediting registers for health and care occupations that are not regulated by statute.

To gain accreditation, an organisation must show through a rigorous application that it meets the PSA’s demanding standards. These cover governance, the standards set for registrants (including education and training) and how the register is managed. Accreditation is renewed every year, provided the organisation can show it still meets the standards.

The PSA checks that organisations manage their accredited registers effectively and follow good practice. Each organisation makes sure its registrants meet its standards, and takes action if they do not.

Joining an accredited register is voluntary. Practitioners choose to join because it shows their commitment to their field and makes them part of a professional community with high standards. Anyone struck off an accredited register cannot join another one.

Voluntary registers

Voluntary registers are neither required by law nor accredited by the PSA. The RCT is an accredited register, not a voluntary one.