Accredited Registers - Ensuring that health and care practitioners are competent and safe 2015

Key information

This report describes the success of the Accredited Registers programme, set up two years ago. It explains how Accredited Registers are helping to provide care and improve the health of patients and service users and shows that they have the capacity to do much more.

In 2012, the Health and Social Care Act extended our role to include the large number of other practitioners who also work in health and social care, in occupations that are not regulated by statute. 

• We set quality standards for organisations which register health and care practitioners, commit to best practice and take action when necessary to protect the public
• So far there are 17 accredited registers covering 63,000 practitioners
• The range of occupations this covers includes counsellors and psychotherapists who help improve our mental health; healthcare scientists who help to diagnose our illnesses, complementary therapists, who often work in hospices and cancer centres, and sports rehabilitators who help people overcome disability
• This report shows that this workforce can help governments and public bodies achieve their aim to improve health and transform services. It shows employers, commissioners and the public that they can have confidence in Accredited Registers and their practitioners.