The GOsC is one of nine healthcare regulators in the UK. Each of them works to maintain high standards in their particular profession, and keeps a Register of professionals working within it. Practitioners can be registered only if they demonstrate high standards of safety and competency, and it is against the law to practise without being registered with the appropriate regulator.
If you wish to learn more, or check that a healthcare professional is registered, use the links to reach their website. The UK Statutory Register of Osteopaths is available to check on this website.
| Healthcare Regulators | |
|---|---|
| General Chiropractic Council | Regulates chiropractors. |
| General Dental Council | Regulates dentists and dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists. |
| General Medical Council | Regulates doctors. |
| General Optical Council | Regulates opticians, optometrists, student opticians, and optical businesses. |
| Health Professions Council | Regulates 14 health professions: arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists, podiatrists, clinical scientists, dieticians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists and orthotists, radiographers, speech and language therapists. |
| Nursing and Midwifery Council | Regulates nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses. |
| Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland | Regulates pharmacists and pharmacy premises in Northern Ireland. |
| Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain | Regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians (on the voluntary register) and pharmacy premises in Great Britain. |
The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) has the role of protecting patients, promoting best practice and encouraging excellence among all the nine UK regulators of healthcare professionals. The CHRE reviews the performance of all the heathcare regulators, including the GOsC, annually and publishes a performance review report on its website.
There are four regulators for the social care professions across the UK:
This group was set up in January 2005 and acts as a forum in which the UK health and social care regulators can share ideas and promote good practice in patient and public involvement. More information about the group’s work is available on its page on the General Chiropractic Council website.
An information leaflet explaining what the regulators do and how to contact them, is available in 13 different languages (select to download):
Other organisations regulate the provision of health and social care services in the UK.
The Care Quality Commission regulates health and adult social care services provided by the NHS, local authorities, voluntary organisations and private companies in England.
The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority monitors and inspects the availability and quality of health and social care services in Northern Ireland.
The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (Care Commission) regulates all adult, child and independent healthcare services in Scotland.
The role of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is to improve the quality of health care in Scotland by setting standards and monitoring performance, and by providing advice, guidance and support to NHS Scotland on effective clinical practice and service improvements.
The Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales regulates, inspects and reviews social care, early years and social services in Wales.
Healthcare Inspectorate Wales reviews, and conducts investigations into, the provision of NHS funded care either by or for Welsh NHS organisations and independent healthcare services.
We welcome comments and feedback about this website and the information on it. If you have any comments or if you have not been able to find the information you want in this section or on the website as a whole, please contact us by using the form on the Contact us page or by emailing info@osteopathy.org.uk.
