Frequently used terms in health/care regulation

Accessibility

The design of products, devices, services or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities.

Accredited (AR)

An outcome from the Accreditation Panel, used when a register has met all the Standards. The Register and its registrants become eligible to use the Accredited Registers Quality Mark.

Accredited with Conditions (AR)

An outcome from the Accreditation Panel where a register has not met all of the Standards but would do so following completion of specific actions. Changes must be implemented within a specified timeframe to maintain accreditation. 

Accreditation Officer (AR)

A member of the Accreditation team who will be responsible for assessing your register.

Accredited Register (AR)

An organisation that holds a register of people working in health and social care roles not subject to statutory regulation, which has demonstrated it meets the Authority’s Standards for accreditation.

Accredited Registers' Quality Mark (AR)

This refers to the logo that Accredited Registers and their practitioners are allowed to display. 

Accreditation Panel (AR)

The group of people who make key accreditation decisions, such as whether accreditation should be granted or renewed. Panel members are usually members of our staff and each Panel includes one member of the Directors’ Group.

Accreditation Team (AR)

Our staff members who manage and administer the Accredited Registers process. 

ACRO Criminal Records Office (ACRO)

A national police unit providing criminal records information services.

Adjourned (AR)

A Panel meeting outcome where the Panel has decided that it needs more information to make a decision about accreditation.

Adjunctive therapy

A therapy or treatment which is offered alongside another treatment, usually with the intention of improving the effectiveness of the main treatment.

Annual accreditation check (AR)

The process undertaken by the Accreditation team to gather key information about changes to the Accredited Register each year that a full assessment is not due, used to identify if a targeted review is needed. 

Appeal upheld (FtP)

Where the Court agrees with the Authority that the decision is insufficient.

Appeal dismissed (FtP)

Where the Court disagrees with the Authority and finds the decision to be sufficient.

Appeal withdrawn (FtP)

In rare cases, the Authority may decide not to proceed with its appeal.

Applicant (AR)

An organisation that is applying for accreditation.

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

The regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in the UK.

Assessment  (PR)

In our performance reviews, the assessment is the first stage, where we decide the scope of our review. You can find more information about our performance review process on our website.

Audit (of FTP cases) (PR)

A review of a sample of fitness to practise cases closed by the regulator, to assess how its processes operate in practice and whether the decisions made protect the public and maintain public confidence in the regulator and profession. The audit involves us accessing the regulator’s systems and looking at how cases have been managed. We may decide to carry out an audit as part of a targeted review. We can also audit other areas of the regulator’s work, such as its registration function. You can find more information about our performance review process on our website.

Benefit (AR)

A positive impact on health and/or wellbeing arising directly or indirectly from the services of a registrants. 

Case Examiners (FtP)

Appointed staff members consisting of professionals and lay members who assess a concern and consider if there is a real prospect that the concern could be proved and that, if proven, it would suggest that the registrant’s fitness to practise as a dental professional may be compromised

Case to answer (FtP)

A professional has a case to answer about their fitness to practise if the regulator decides that there is a reasonable chance that a serious concern about the professional might be found proved at a hearing.

‘Cease and desist’ letters

A letter telling someone to stop doing something, because it is or may be illegal. Regulators sometimes send ‘cease and desist’ letters when they think someone who is not registered may be using a protected title or a carrying out a protected act.

Citizens Advice Bureau

An organisation which provides independent advice, support and advocacy.

Conditions (AR)

Issued when a Panel has determined that a Standard has not been met. A Condition sets out the requirements needed for the Accredited Register to meet the Standards, within a set timeframe. It may also reduce the period of accreditation subject to a review or the Condition being met. 

Consent Order (FtP)

This is an order agreed by the parties about how to proceed with the case.

Consultation

A formal process by which an organisation invites comments on proposed changes to how it works.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Learning activities professionals undertake to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

Corporate complaint

A complaint to a regulator about something the regulator has done, for example a service it has provided.

Corporate Strategy

The overall scope and direction of a corporation and the way in which its business operations work together to achieve particular goals.

Costs Order (FtP)

The general rule in litigation is that the party that loses the appeal must pay the costs of the other party.  You may have to pay the Costs of the Authority and also the regulator if you decide to contest the appeal (and where the regulator has agreed that the outcome is insufficient).  If the Authority is not successful in its appeal, we will then pay your costs and may be asked to pay some of the regulator’s costs.

Council

The regulators’ Councils are responsible for ensuring that they fulfil their statutory objectives and set the strategic direction for the regulators. 

Disclosure and Barring Service

An organisation which helps employers make safer recruitment decisions by processing and issuing criminal record checks.

Documentary review (AR)

The first stage of the assessment process.

Duty of Candour

The duty of professionals to be open and honest when things go wrong.

Emerging Concerns Protocol

Is a mechanism for health and social care regulators and systems regulators to share information and intelligence that may indicate risk to users of services, carers, families or professionals.

Equality Act

The law that protects people from discrimination in the UK.

Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

A process of considering the likely impact on different groups of people of a project or piece of work, intended to ensure that the work does not discriminate against anyone.

Evidence (AR)

The information used to assess whether a Standard has been met. 

Evidence Gathering (AR)

The second stage of the assessment process which includes the site visit, observation of Board meetings, complaints review and interviews.

Filing documents (FtP)

This means providing documents to the Court.

Fitness to Practise (FtP)

Regulators have a duty to consider information, such as complaints, which indicates that a registrant may not be fit to practise. If a regulator decides that a registrant’s fitness to practise is impaired, it may take action to protect the public, to maintain public trust in the profession and/or to declare and uphold professional standards.

Full renewal assessment (AR)

The process to gather information, analyse against the Standards, and decide whether all the Standards are met and accreditation can be renewed. 

Grounds of Appeal (FtP)

This is the document where we set out in writing our concerns about the decision.

Harms (AR)

Adverse impact on patients and service users arising directly or indirectly from the services of registrants and/or the Register. 

Head of Accreditation (AR)

A member of the Accreditation team who oversees the Accreditation Programme.

Health Improvement Scotland

A public body which is responsible for improving the quality of healthcare in Scotland. 

Health Inspectorate Wales

An independent inspectorate and regulator in Wales.

Impact assessment (AR)

The process for considering the implications of accreditation of different groups. 

Inquest

A formal legal inquiry, under the responsibility of a coroner, to determine the cause of someone’s death.

Interim Order (FtP)

A decision by a regulator to restrict the practice of a professional while the regulator investigates a concern about their fitness to practise. Interim Orders can only be imposed if they are necessary to address serious risks.

Investigating Committee (IC) (FtP)

Most of the regulators have Investigating Committees which consider fitness to practise complaints to decide whether a professional has a case to answer.

Judgment (FtP)

This is the document containing the Court’s decision on the case.

Key Performance Indicator

Regulators measure and report on their own performance, including to their Council. A regulator may set and report on performance targets in areas of its work it considers particularly important. These are known as KPIs. 

Median

The middle number in a set of data: for example, the median time it takes a regulator to process registration applications means that half the applications were processed within that time.   

Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (MDR) 

Safety regulations which ensure that medical devices placed on the market and put into service in the UK are safe to use. Breaches of the regulations are investigated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA).   

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) 

An organisation responsible for regulating medicines, medical devices and blood components for transfusion in the UK.   

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 

An agreement between two or more organisations about how they will work together.

Minimum requirements (AR)

The process for considering the implications of accreditation of different groups. 

Mitigations (AR)

Actions put in place to reduce the likelihood and/or impact of a risk. Can also be known as ‘controls’.

NHS England

An executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care which oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of providing healthcare.

Notification of Change (AR)

The process used to assess significant changes to an Accreditation Register.

Over-arching objective

The Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015 introduced legislative amendments which set out that the over-arching objective of the regulators and the Authority in exercising their functions is the protection of the public.

Parties (FtP)

Parties involved will be the regulator and the registrant(s) who were the subject of the original fitness to practise decision.

Performance Review

Our annual review of how well a regulator is performing. You can find more information about our performance review process on our website.

Personal Development Plan (PDP)

An action plan based on reflection, goal setting and planning for personal development in the context of career and education

Proceedings (FtP)

This is the term we use when we are talking about the action taken in Court.

Professional indemnity insurance

Insurance that covers a professional for legal and associated costs if a concern is raised or claim is made about the service they provide.

Protected act

An activity which only a registered professional is allowed by law to carry out. For example, only registered dentists can legally carry out dentistry in the UK.

Protected characteristic

The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of any of the following: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation. These are known as protected characteristics.

Protected title

A title which only a registered professional is allowed by law to use. For example, only a registered osteopath can use the title osteopath in the UK.

Public Interest Test (AR)

The decision of whether the overall benefits of the activities of registrants outweigh the risks, and therefore accreditation would best promote the interests of patients and service users. 

Public Liability Insurance

Insurance that covers a professional for legal and associated costs if someone suffers an injury or damage to property as a result of their business activities.

Quality Mark (AR)

This refers to the logo that Accredited Registers and their practitioners are allowed to display once they have gone through the (re)accreditation process.

ReciteMe

Accessibility software which enables users to customise a website to their needs.

Recommendation (AR)

Actions that would improve practice and benefit the operation of the Register, but which is not a current requirement for accreditation to be maintained.

Register

Each regulator maintains a register, that is, a list of the people it regulates and have met its criteria for registration.

Registrant

A professional on a register is known as a registrant.

Registration assessment panels

Provide advice and make recommendations to the Registrar as to whether an applicant has the relevant knowledge and skill for entry onto the register.

Remittal (FtP)

If the Court agrees that the outcome is insufficient, one of the options available to it is to quash the decision made by the regulator’s panel and ask the regulator to re-do the hearing.

Renewal of Accreditation

Where accreditation is granted again to an existing Accredited Register for a set period, usually three years (unless the Register is newly accredited or has time restricted Conditions). 

Respondents (FtP)

This is the term used to refer to the regulator and registrants within the appeal.

Restoration register

The process by which someone who has left or been removed from a register can go back on it.

Risk

The possibility of an adverse impact arising.

Samaritans

A charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Scope of Practice

A document which sets out the skills and abilities each dental registrant group should have in order to be able to carry out a task or type of treatment or make decisions about a patient’s care plan.

Scrutiny Committee

Members of our Board who will have oversight of the decisions made within the Accreditation process, performance review process and section 29 process.

Section 29 (FtP)

Each regulator we oversee has a fitness to practise process for handling complaints about health and care professionals. The most serious cases are referred to formal hearings in front of fitness to practise panels. We review every final decision made by the regulators’ fitness to practise panels. If we consider that a decision is insufficient to protect the public properly we can refer them to Court to be considered by a judge. Our power to do this comes from Section 29 of the NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002 (as amended). ‘The appeal has been lodged’ – this is the term we use when we take formal action and have decided to appeal a regulator’s decision. This action will be against the regulator and the registrant.

Service (FtP)

Terms used within the procedural rules of the Court where we are required to formally provide you with certain documents.  This will usually be done by post.

Share your experience (PR) (AR)

The process by which we seek feedback from the public and any interested parties about renewal of accreditation of an Accredited Register and as part of our performance reviews of the regulators. 

The Shaw Trust

A charity which employs people with a wide range of disabilities and accessibility needs and supports organisations in checking the accessibility of their websites. You can find out more about their work at https://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/.

Skeleton argument (FtP)

This refers to the document where we go into detail about the reasons why we have decided to appeal the regulator’s decision.

Stakeholder

A person or organisation who has an interest in a regulator’s activities, for example a group that represents patients or professionals.

Standards for Accredited Registers (AR)

The Standards which organisations must demonstrate they meet for accreditation.

Standards of Good Regulation (PR)

These are the Standards we use to assess regulators' performance as part of our performance review process.

Statutory functions

The activities a regulator must carry out by law. The regulators we oversee are required to set standards for the professions they regulate, hold a register of professionals who meet those standards, assure the quality of training for entry to the register, and take action if a registrant may not be fit to practise. Some regulators have other statutory functions as well.

Statutory regulators

The regulators we look at in our performance reviews are statutory regulators. This means that their powers and responsibilities are set out in law.

Supplementary Review (AR)

Documents that are submitted with the application form as evidence used to demonstrate a Standard.

Targeted review (PR) (AR)

Part of our performance review where we seek more information about how a regulator is performing. It is also the process undertaken to gather more information to ascertain whether one or more Standards are met for Accredited Registers applying for, or renewing accreditation. If concerns are identified at an annual check or through serious concerns raised with us through Share Your Experience. 

Thematic Review

A type of research which aims to identify and/or assess current or emerging risks in certain areas of interest or concerns.

Victim Support

A national charity which supports people affected by crime and traumatic events.

Whistleblowing

Disclosing information about wrongdoing within an organisation.