The regulatory bodies

The purpose of the nine health professional regulatory bodies is to protect and promote the safety of the public. They do this by setting standards of behaviour, education and ethics that health professionals must meet, and by dealing with concerns about professionals who are unfit to practise as a result of poor health, misconduct or poor performance. Regulators register health professionals who are fit to practise in the UK and can remove professionals from the register and prevent them from practising where they consider this to be in the best interests of public safety.

• General Chiropractic Council (GCC) regulates chiropractors.
• General Dental Council (GDC) regulates dentists, dental nurses, dental technicians, dental hygienists, dental therapists, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists
• General Medical Council (GMC) regulates doctors
• General Optical Council (GOC) regulates optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses
• General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) regulates osteopaths
• Health Professions Council (HPC) regulates the members of 14 health professions: arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists/podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists/orthotists, radiographers, speech and language therapists
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) regulates nurses and midwives
• Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) regulates pharmacists in Northern Ireland
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) regulates pharmacists in England, Wales and Scotland

If you wish to complain about a healthcare professional, please review information on how we deal with complaints.