We have published our annual performance review of the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). Between 1 April 2021 and 30 June 2022, we monitored the GCC’s performance against the Standards of Good Regulation (the Standards).
For this period, the GCC has met 17 out of the 18 Standards. Our report explains how we made our decision.
The GCC has made good progress implementing its equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) Action Plan this year, in particular by improving the completeness of the EDI data it holds about its registrants. It is clear that the GCC has demonstrated its commitment to tackling EDI issues during this review period and it has met Standard 3 for the first time.
The ongoing and wide-ranging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a major impact on the GCC’s ability to progress complaints through its fitness to practise system. The time taken to progress cases to resolution has increased significantly this year – particularly for the most serious cases that reach the Professional Conduct Committee. The GCC has therefore not met Standard 15 for this review period.
We are concerned that the GCC may not have the legal powers it needs to manage high-risk fitness to practise cases effectively. Compared to other regulators, the GCC can use interim orders to restrict the practice of registrants for a relatively short period of time. This is a risk to patients and the public, and we will be investigating this further over the coming months.
The performance review is our check on how well the regulators have been protecting the public and promoting confidence in the health and care professions. We do this by assessing their performance against our Standards. The judgements we make against each Standard incorporate a range of evidence to form an overall picture of performance. Meeting a Standard means that we are satisfied that a regulator is performing well in that area.
In January 2022, we implemented a new performance review approach, starting with the 2021/22 round of reviews. In the new process, we undertake a ‘periodic review’ of each regulator every three years. This is our opportunity to look closely at all aspects of the regulator’s work. Between these reviews, we monitor their performance, focusing on areas of risk. This year, we undertook a monitoring review of the GCC.
ENDS
Contact: media@progressionalstandards.org.uk
Note to Editors
- The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care oversees 10 statutory bodies that regulate health and social care professionals in the UK.
- We assess their performance and report to Parliament. We also conduct audits and investigations and can appeal fitness to practise cases to the courts if we consider that sanctions are insufficient to protect the public and it is in the public interest.
- The Standards of Good Regulation are designed to ensure that the regulators are protecting the public but also promoting confidence in health and care professionals and themselves. The Standards cover the regulators’ four core functions: setting and promoting guidance and standards for the profession; setting standards for and quality assuring the provision of education and training; maintaining a register of professionals; and taking action where a professional’s fitness to practise may be impaired. There is also a set of General Standards that cover equality, diversity and inclusion as well as how well the regulators engage with stakeholders.
- We also set standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for health and social care occupations and accredit those that meet them.
- We share good practice and knowledge, conduct research and introduce new ideas to our sector. We monitor policy developments in the UK and internationally and provide advice on issues relating to professional standards in health and social care.
- We do this to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of users of health and social care services and the public. We are an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament.
- Our values are – integrity, transparency, respect, fairness and teamwork – and we strive to ensure that they are at the core of our work.
- The General Chiropractic Council regulates chiropractors in the United Kingdom. Its work includes: setting and maintaining standards and codes of conduct for the chiropractic profession; maintaining a register of qualified professionals; assuring the quality of chiropractic education and training; and acting to restrict or remove from practice registrants who are considered not fit to practise. As at 30 June 2022, the GCC was responsible for a register of 3,520 chiropractors.
- More information about our work and the approach we take is available at www.professionalstandards.org.uk