Consultation on reviewing our Standards

Our Standards (for both regulators and Accredited Registers) are a pivotal component of how we deliver our mission and achieve our vision. They are the instruments we use to hold the organisations we oversee to account. But more than that, the Standards are key to driving improvement by challenging organisations to change. 

An image depicting members of the public in a focus group discussion

Why are we reviewing our Standards?

We are reviewing our Standards of Good Regulation and Standards for Accredited Registers to ensure they effectively protect the public and uphold professional standards.

Why are we consulting?

We want to make sure that our Standards are fit for the future. We have launched this consultation to gather input and insight from as many stakeholders as we can. 

We want to make sure that the next version of the Standards look for the right things, but can also flex to meet current and future challenges.

Go directly to our survey

“In the challenging environment that health and care practitioners are experiencing, it remains increasingly important to prioritise safety while adapting to change. 

In that context, it is essential that the Standards focus our attention on the right things so that we can assess performance and drive improvement in regulation and registration of practitioners for the benefit of the public. 

All views on our Standards are welcome.”

Alan Clamp, PSA Chief Executive

What are we proposing?

We've already had initial discussions with stakeholders to sense-check our proposals. Following their feedback, we have now drawn up and launched this public consultation. Our proposals for change include:

  • bringing the two types of standards into alignment where it is possible
  • making the standards clearer, more accessible and transparent,
  • whether/how we should take an interest in organisational governance, culture and leadership given how often it emerges as a challenge in the health and social care sector, and the impact it can have on performance,
  • whether measures could be introduced to remove gaps in criminal convictions checks for some health and social care practitioners, and
  • whether new criteria for registers applying for accreditation will support public confidence. 

Our public consultation is your opportunity to influence what we look at and how we do it when assessing regulator and voluntary register performance. It’s your chance to tell us what you think about the current Standards, and to help shape how we assess regulators and Accredited Registers in the future. It’s also a chance to tell us if there are other areas we should be assessing.

Why do we want your views?

It’s important to us that we hear directly from a wide range of people who are involved with, and who are affected by, our work, so we are seeking views from regulators, Accredited Registers (and prospective Accredited Registers), patient organisations and individuals, registrants/professionals, healthcare employers, professional bodies/unions and members of the public. 

The consultation responses we receive will all be considered and used to develop our approach going forward. This could be by introducing new Standards on areas such as culture, governance or duty of candour, or the removal or simplification of current standards.

By getting involved, you can ensure that we understand how our work is perceived by you (and by all stakeholders). It will allow us to ensure that our Standards are relevant, clear, accessible and are effective in protecting the public. 

What's the deadline?

The deadline for responding is 5pm on 8 May 2025.

How do I respond?

Our consultation overview and explainer document provides more details about how to respond and the link is below.

How can I get in touch?

If you have any questions or would like alternative formats of the consultation overview, please email us at standardsreview@professionalstandards.org.uk

Find out more about the context to our consultation

Alongside our public consultation, we have also launched a call for evidence.  

The aim of this call for evidence is to gather any published research, data or other written evidence which suggests ways professional regulation and registration could improve. This evidence, along with the responses to the this consultation, will feed into our Standards review, and could help to inform further work by the PSA.

Find out more about our Call for Evidence

See how we use our current Standards

We use our current Standards (Standards of Good Regulation) as part of our regulator reviews to see how well the 10 health and social care regulators we oversee are protecting the public. Our Standards for Accredited Registers form the basis of our accreditation process for registers of practitioners who are not regulated by law.