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Professional Standards Authority (PSA)

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ByWEBPAINTUK

Overview

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) is an independent UK body accountable to Parliament. Its role is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, training, conduct and performance among health and social care professionals. The PSA oversees statutory health regulators and runs the Accredited Registers programme, which provides oversight for voluntary registers in areas that are not subject to statutory regulation.

Classification

UK Regulator • Health & Social Care Oversight • Professional Standards Authority

Purpose & Mission

The PSA’s core purpose is to protect patients, service users and the public by improving regulation and registration of people working in health and social care. It aims to ensure that professional standards are proportionate, transparent, consistent and focused on public safety, while supporting innovation and access to care.

Key Functions

Oversight of Statutory Regulators

The PSA oversees the performance of the UK’s statutory health and care regulators, including bodies such as the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and General Dental Council (GDC).

Accredited Registers Programme

The PSA operates the Accredited Registers programme, which provides quality assurance for voluntary registers covering professions and occupations that are not regulated by law. Accreditation indicates that a register meets PSA standards for governance, education, complaints handling, and public protection.

Public Protection & Complaints Oversight

The PSA reviews how regulators and accredited registers handle fitness‑to‑practise concerns and complaints, with a focus on fairness, transparency and public confidence.

Policy, Research & Guidance

The PSA publishes research, policy advice and guidance on professional regulation, workforce standards and public safety, supporting evidence‑based improvement across the sector.

Accredited Registers Explained

An Accredited Register is not statutory regulation, but it provides a recognised benchmark of quality and accountability. Registers accredited by the PSA must demonstrate:

  • Clear governance and accountability structures

  • Robust education and training standards

  • Effective complaints and disciplinary processes

  • Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

  • Ongoing monitoring and improvement

 

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care is an independent UK body, accountable to Parliament, that promotes the health, safety and wellbeing of patients, service users and the public.

The PSA oversees how the UK’s health and social care regulators and accredited registers work, reviews their performance, sets standards, and can appeal fitness-to-practise decisions if sanctions are too lenient to protect the public.

PSA Accredited Registers are voluntary registers of health and care practitioners in roles not regulated by law, run by organisations that meet the PSA’s standards for protecting the public, complaints handling, governance, training, and management of their register.

 

Using a practitioner on a PSA Accredited Register gives extra assurance that the organisation holding the register checks qualifications, sets standards for behaviour and competence, manages complaints, and can’t simply accept someone who has been struck off another accredited register.

No, the PSA does not regulate or register practitioners itself; instead it oversees the statutory regulators (like the GMC, NMC, HCPC) and accredits organisations that hold voluntary registers, improving how those bodies protect the public.

The PSA reviews regulators each year against its Standards of Good Regulation, audits and investigates where needed, accredits registers that meet its standards, and advises governments and others on how to improve health and care regulation.

Accredited Registers can display the PSA Quality Mark logo, showing they’ve met all PSA standards; the PSA website lists all current Accredited Registers with links to search for practitioners.

No, Accredited Registers cover roles that are not legally regulated, so registration is voluntary, but the PSA and NHS employers recommend using accredited practitioners where possible for greater reassurance about safety and competence.

References (APA)

Professional Standards Authority. (2025). About the Professional Standards Authority.
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/

Professional Standards Authority. (2025). Accredited Registers programme.
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers

Professional Standards Authority. (2025). How we protect the public.
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do

Professional Standards Authority. (2025). Oversight of health and care regulators.
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/our-work-with-regulators

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