The UK’s 13 Health and Social Care regulators have today launched a new leaflet entitled, ‘Who regulates health and social care professionals?’  The leaflet is the result of a joint initiative by all of the regulatory bodies including the General Dental Council (GDC).

The leaflet provides a useful ‘signposting tool’ for the general public outlining which regulatory body is responsible for monitoring each profession and what regulation means.  It also provides contact details for all the organisations.

Commenting on what this will mean for the public, Gary Fitzgerald of Action on Elder Abuse said:

"We welcome this initiative as a means of giving important information to a wide audience.  We know from the calls to our helpline that when the public are unenlightened it interferes with their ability to raise concerns.  This document has a real value in educating the public about who they can turn to with their questions.  Health and social care professionals have a unique and powerful role to play where older people are concerned and it's important that people are confident that these same professionals are accountable.  This document has our full support."

GDC President, Hew Mathewson, said:

“Protecting patients is a key element of the work of the GDC and the other healthcare regulators.  This leaflet is an ideal way for members of the public to find out about our role in setting standards for all healthcare professionals including dental professionals.”

The leaflet is available on this website 

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For media enquiries, please contact Rachel Lea on 020 7009 2782.

Notes to Editors

• There are 13 regulatory bodies within the UK responsible for each of the health and social care professions.

• The Joint UK Health and Social Care Regulators' Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Group are made up of the Council and staff members from each of the 13 organisations. The Group worked together in producing this leaflet ‘Who regulates health and social care professionals?’ with the intention of enhancing the role of patient and public involvement within health and social care regulation.

Health Care

• General Chiropractic Council (GCC) www.gcc-uk.org
• General Dental Council (GDC) www.gdc-uk.org 
• General Medical Council (GMC) www.gmc-uk.org
• General Optical Council (GOC) www.optical.org
• General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) www.osteopathy.org.uk 
• Health Professions Council (HPC) www.hpc-uk.org
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) www.nmc-uk.org
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) www.rpsgb.org
• Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) www.psni.org.uk 
• Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) www.chre.org.uk 

Social Care 

• Care Council for Wales www.ccwales.org.uk
• General Social Care Council (GSCC) www.gscc.org.uk 
• Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) www.niscc.info
• Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) www.sssc.uk.com