Public & Patients
Other healthcare regulators
UK health regulators
The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland 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.
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Healthcare Regulators |
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Regulates chiropractors. |
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Regulates dentists and dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists. |
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Regulates doctors. |
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Regulates opticians, optometrists, student opticians, and optical businesses. |
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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. |
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Regulates nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses. |
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Regulates osteopaths. |
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Regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians (on the voluntary register) and pharmacy premises in Great Britain. |
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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 Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, annually and publishes a performance review report on its website.
Social care regulators
There are four regulators for the social care professions across the UK:
- General Social Care Council
- Northern Ireland Social Care Council
- Scottish Social Services Council
- Care Council for Wales
Who Regulates Health and Social Care Professionals?
An information leaflet explaining what the regulators do and how to contact them, is available in 13 different languages (select to download):
- English
- Large Print
- Arabic
- Bengali
- Cantonese
- Greek
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Punjabi
- Somali
- Turkish
- Urdu
- Vietnamese
- Welsh
Health and social care services
Other organisations regulate the provision of health and social care services in the UK.
England
The Care Quality Commission regulates health and adult social care services provided by the NHS, local authorities, voluntary organisations and private companies in England.
Northern Ireland
The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority monitors and inspects the availability and quality of health and social care services in Northern Ireland.
Scotland
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.
Wales
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.