Registering as a Healthcare Professional In the UK and Northern Ireland
As a healthcare professional in the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland, one of the most important and essential steps you need to take is registering with the appropriate regulatory body for your profession. Not only does registration give you licence to work it also endorses you as a trusted professional who delivers safe and quality services. So, which regulatory body relates to your specific profession? To make it easy, we’ve gathered all the information together for you…
Registering as a Nurse
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the regulator for Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
As the independent regulator of more than 808,000 Nursing and Midwifery professionals, the body’s vision is to ensure safe, effective and kind nursing and midwifery practice that improves everyone’s health and wellbeing. The Council’s core role is to regulate – promoting high education and professional standards for Nurses and Midwives.
The NMC maintains the register of professionals eligible for practice – including 748,000 Nurses as well as Nursing Associates who bridge the gap between Health and Care Assistants and Registered Nurses. If you wish to practice in any Nursing role you need to register with the Council.
By registering and renewing your registration annually you are agreeing to uphold the professional standards and work in line with the Code. The Code details the professional standards that Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates must uphold to be registered to practice in the UK.
There are different ways to apply for registration, depending on which part of the register you want to join and where you trained. You can learn more here
Registering as an Allied Health Professional
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates 15 Health and Care professions in the UK and these are: Art Therapists, Dietitians, Dramatherapists, Music Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Operating Department Practitioners, Orthoptists, Osteopaths, Paramedics, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Prosthetists and Orthotists, Radiographers and Speech and Language Therapists.
All roles share one thing in common - they play a vital part in treating, rehabilitating and improving the lives of patients, and to practice in any of these rules you need to register with the Council.
When you register as a ‘registrant,’ you accept that the Council is responsible for setting standards for education and training in your profession, approves programmes and acts if professionals on the Register do not meet the standards of the Council.
Your application route depends on whether you completed your training in the UK or internationally. If you have previously been on the Register you will apply via Readmission. Find out more about application routes here
Registering as a Doctor
To practice medicine in the UK you need to hold registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) and hold a licence to practice which means you can prescribe medicine and treat patients. The General Medical Council works with Doctors, patients, and other stakeholders to support good, safe patient care across the UK. It offers learning and support, shares data, research and other information to improve patient care and delivers advisory services to regulators around the world.
Most importantly, the Council makes sure that every Doctor has the correct knowledge, skills, qualifications and experience to practice, by maintaining an official list of Doctors called the Medical Register. Once you are registered and included in the list it will show the type of registration you hold, your training and any other relevant information. To stay in practice, you must continue to meet the professional standards set by the Council and show that you are keeping your knowledge and skills up to date through a process called Revalidation.
There are different pathways to registration, based on your medical education and experience. These are: Provisional Registration, Full Registration, Specialist Registration and GP Registration. You can read more here.
Registering as a Dentist
To work as a Dentist in the UK you must register with the General Dental Council (GDC) – the UK-wide statutory regulator of more than 120,000 members of the dental team. The Council’s purpose is to maintain public confidence in the Dental professions and protect patient safety – achieved by registering qualified Dental professionals. The Council also sets standards for Dental professionals and ensures the quality of Dental education.
Your route to registration will depend on whether you want to register as a Dentist or as a Dental Care Professional (DCP). You can learn more here. You will need to renew your registration annually.
Registering as a Social Care Worker
In Northern Ireland, it is compulsory for Social Care Workers to register with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) – a public body established by the Department of Health to support high quality standards of Social Work and Social Care. Its register has over 49,000 registrants which includes Social Care Workers, Social Care Managers, Social Workers, Probation Officers, Education Welfare Officers and Social Work Students. These professionals work across a range of care services, in residential and day centres, community facilities and in people’s homes. The route to registration will depend on your Social Care role and you can learn more here.
Elsewhere in the UK, there are different governing bodies for Social Care professionals as follows:
In England you must be registered with Social Work England https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/registration/apply-for-registration
In Scotland, register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)
In Wales, register with the Care Council for Wales
Registering as a Pharmacist
The Dental profession in Great Britain is regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council – the purpose of which is to protect people and give them assurance they’ll receive a high standard of care when using a pharmacy.
To practice as a Pharmacist in Great Britain you must register with the General Pharmaceutical Council and meet its requirements for education, training and experience. You will need to renew your Registration each year.
The registration process and the information you will need to provide depends on the country where you gained your qualifications. You can find all the information you need here.
To practice as a Pharmacist in Northern you are required to register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and you can learn more here.
Registering as an Optician
The regulator for the Optical profession in the UK is the General Optical Council which exists to set performance standards, approve qualifications and maintain its Registers of individuals who are deemed fit to practice or train as Optometrists or Dispensing Opticians. There are currently around 33,000 Optometrists, Dispensing Opticians, Student Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians as well as Optical businesses on the Registers.
There are several types of registration according to the part of the Register you want to join: a fully qualified individual, student or business. Find out all the details here.
We’re Here for You
Whichever regulating body applies to your role, and whether you’re registering for the first time or applying for annual renewal – your TTM consultant is here to help, advise and smooth your way forward.