Professional Regulation 

This is where the Institute posts material related to the regulation of professionals, including doctors, nurses and midwives, vets, engineers, solicitors, statistician, architects and many others. If you have material to add, or would like to help curate this page, please contact us. 

Organisations involved in the regulation of health and social care professionals include:

• The General Medical Council protects, promotes and maintains the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine.

• The Health and Care Professions Council protects the public by regulating 15 health and care professions in the UK, including art therapists, paramedics, physiotherapists, radiographers and language therapists.

• The General Dental Council is the UK-wide statutory regulator of over 110,000 dentists and dental practitioners.

•  The General Pharmaceutical Council regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies in Great Britain.

• The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council is the independent UK regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners.

• The General Chiropractic Council regulates chiropractors in the UK to ensure the safety of patients undergoing chiropractic treatment.

• The General Osteopathic Council regulates osteopaths in the UK.

• The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is the regulatory and professional body for pharmacists in Northern Ireland.

• The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, previously known as The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, scrutinises and oversees the work of 10 health and care regulators, including others listed here.

• The General Optical Council maintains a register of opticians and regulates the services provided by dispensing opticians and optometrists.

• The UK Public Health Register is the independent regulator of public health professionals in the UK.

• The Scottish Social Services Council is responsible for registering people who work in the social services and regulating their education and training.

• Social Work England is the regulator of social workers in England.

Other organisations involved in professional regulation include:

• The Office for Statistics Regulation is a regulator that supports confidence in statistics by addressing harms and making sure that statistics serve the public good.

• The Architects Registration Board regulates the architects’ profession in the UK.

• The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a professional body promoting and enforcing the highest international standards in the valuation, management and development of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants (England and Wales) supervises and monitors over 12,000 firms, holding them and their accountants and accountancy students to high standards of professional competency and conduct.

• The Engineering Council is the UK regulatory body for the engineering profession.

• The Farriers Registration Council maintains a register of farriers and determines who is qualified to register.

• The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) is the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector. 

• The Education Workforce Council is the independent regulator for the education workforce in Wales, covering teachers and learning support staff.

Further reading and information:

• Department of Health and Social Care (2021) Regulating healthcare professionals, protecting the public (A consultation).

• Charles Vincent et al. (2020) Redesigning safety regulation in the NHS. BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 368.

• Eirini Oikonomou et al. (2019) Patient safety regulation in the NHS: mapping the regulatory landscape of healthcare BMJ open 9(7).

• Tracey Adams (2017) Self-regulating professions: past, present, future Journal of Professions and Organization 4(1) 70–87.

• Keith Manch et al. (2015) Watching the Birth of the Regulatory Profession Policy Quarterly 11(4) 71-76.

• Keith Manch (2014) Improving the Implementation of Regulation: time for a systemic approach Policy Quarterly 10(8) 17-22.

• Kieran Walshe (2009) ‘Regulating Health Professionals’ in Judith Healy & Paul Dugdale (eds) Patient Safety First (Routledge).