Inadequate professional registration and fitness-to-practise safeguards
First to latest report 20 Dec 2013 — 28 Dec 2025
Reports that mention this concern
6
Times this concern has been raised
9
Stated actions linked to this concern
10
What this concern includes
Includes failures of professional registration, verification and fitness-to-practise safeguards, including checking registration status, communicating relevant concerns, applying provisional conditions or restrictions, and preventing continued clinical practice when unresolved concerns create an identified safety risk.
What is not included
Excludes failures of clinical competence, supervision or appointment processes where no professional registration or fitness-to-practise safeguard is identified.
Excludes generic regulatory, governance or information-sharing deficiencies not specifically tied to professional registration status or fitness to practise.
Excludes routine employment checks unrelated to professional registration or unresolved fitness-to-practise concerns.
Excludes failures confined to a named specialist workforce or service where the shared unsafe condition is not a registration or fitness-to-practise safeguard failure.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Department of Health and Social Care3
General Medical Council3
Care Quality Commission1
Cumbria County Council1
Faculty of Physician Associates1
Health and Care Professions Council1
Health Services Safety Investigations Body1
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government1
NHS England1
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust1
University Hospital Lewisham1
University of Wolverhampton1
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust1
Health and care professional regulator4
Ministerial department3
Executive non-departmental public body2
NHS trust2
English county council1
Health and social care service regulator1
Healthcare site1
Professional body1
University1
Reports and published responses 6 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
West London
Concerns raised1
Lack of external accreditation and registration for NTMC practitioners
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Department of Health and Social Care
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
Department of Health and Social Care
Existing professional regulation and CQC registration provide safety and quality oversight when regulated healthcare professionals perform male circumcision.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Department of Health and Social Care
Circumcisions performed by non-registered healthcare professionals, including non-therapeutic procedures, fall outside CQC regulatory scope.
Outside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Responsibility for the reported issues rests with DHSC, which has provided the comprehensive government response; MHCLG has nothing further to add.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Manchester North
Concerns raised1
Failure to require employers to verify Physician Associate registration
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Faculty of Physician Associates
General Medical Council
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
Faculty of Physician Associates
Remind employers to check physician associates’ voluntary register before employment and at regular intervals.
General Medical Council
Begin statutory regulation of physician associates and anaesthesia associates from December 2024.
General Medical Council
Strongly encourage physician associates to join the GMC register as soon as possible.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Faculty of Physician Associates
The FPA cannot mandate physician-associate registration because it has no regulatory powers.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Black Country
Concerns raised1
Gap in fitness-to-practise oversight for unregistered technicians
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Health and Care Professions Council
University of Wolverhampton
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Health and Care Professions Council
Add the individual's name to the HCPC Watchlist.
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust
Review Trust referral practices to ensure appropriate fitness-to-practise referrals are made.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
Health and Care Professions Council
Concerns about an individual not registered with the HCPC fall outside its remit for further investigation.
Outside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust
An employer referral was not considered necessary under HCPC guidance following the serious incident investigation.
No action considered necessaryThe respondent said that no further action was needed.
University of Wolverhampton
A fitness-to-practise referral was considered unlikely to meet referral criteria given the employment context, remaining training and registered-paramedic supervision.
No action considered necessaryThe respondent said that no further action was needed.
Inner South London
Concerns raised4
Failure to secure complete employment histories, references and fitness to practise information for long-term locum doctors
Unavailability of GMC-held fitness to practise and NCAS referral information to subsequent enquirers
Failure to place provisional registration conditions when an NCAS assessment is at risk of remaining incomplete
Lack of clarity over responsibility for enquiring into previous fitness to practise concerns and NCAS referrals when recruiting short-notice locum doctors
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Department of Health and Social Care
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Complete employment and professional registration checks for recruited staff, including verifying GMC registration, restrictions and fitness-to-practise investigations.
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Review temporary-staff employment-check processes, including medical agency staff, through an internal audit in January 2015.
Department of Health and Social Care
Establish a high-level Secondary Care Locum Doctor Working Group and obtain recommendations to strengthen locum-doctor recruitment and quality assurance.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Existing recruitment and revalidation arrangements provide sufficient assurance, so further enquiry into locum doctors’ previous fitness-to-practise concerns is not necessary.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Department of Health and Social Care
Locum agencies and healthcare providers are responsible for checking doctors’ fitness and suitability, with ultimate responsibility resting with the employer.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
South and East Cumbria
Concerns raised1
Failure to verify school counsellor updating, training and professional registration
This report raised 7 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Cumbria County Council
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Cumbria County Council
Remind schools to ensure school counsellors are appropriately qualified and receive appropriate clinical supervision.
Cumbria County Council
Audit a sample of schools’ compliance with counsellor qualification and clinical supervision duties, and present the results to the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Cumbria County Council
Academies and foundation or voluntary aided schools appoint and employ their counsellors, so responsibility for relevant checks rests with their governing bodies or academies.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Cumbria County Council
Individual community and voluntary controlled schools are legally responsible for deciding appointments and completing relevant employment checks for counsellors.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
North Wales (East and Central)
Concerns raised1
Continued practice by a GP whose fitness to practice is in doubt
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
General Medical Council
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
General Medical Council
Responsible Officer oversight, complaint reporting and periodic revalidation were considered sufficient to address concerns about current fitness to practise.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.