We have published our annual performance review of the General Chiropractic Council (GCC). During 2022/23, we conducted a periodic review of the GCC’s performance against the Standards of Good Regulation (the Standards).
For this period, the GCC has met 18 out of the 18 Standards. Our report explains how we made our decision.
The GCC demonstrated its ongoing commitment to issues around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) this year, and has made good progress implementing its action plan. As part of this, the GCC carried out a thematic review of fitness to practise cases closed by its Investigating Committee. The review raised no concerns about the GCC’s processes but identified some areas for improvement, such as increasing the diversity of fitness to practise committees, which the GCC has started to address.
The GCC introduced its new Education Standards this year, after seeking stakeholders’ views through a public consultation and focus groups. The new Standards have a greater emphasis on patient-centred care, EDI and collaborative and integrated working with other healthcare professionals.
The GCC did not meet Standard 15 last year because it was taking too long to progress fitness to practise investigations. We are pleased to report that the GCC met Standard 15 this year as it has significantly improved the time it takes to progress cases from receipt of referral to a final hearing decision. However, the time taken from referral to Investigating Committee decision has increased for the second year in a row and there has been no significant change in the number of older open cases so we will monitor the data closely for evidence that cases are being progressed and there is no backlog developing.
We reviewed a sample of Investigating Committee decisions this year and generally found them to be reasonable, with clear, accurate and detailed reasons recorded. The GCC has reasonable and proportionate controls in place to ensure good decision-making and we found those controls to be working effectively.
The performance review is our check on how well the regulators have been protecting the public and promoting confidence in the health and care professions. We do this by assessing their performance against our Standards. The judgements we make against each Standard incorporate a range of evidence to form an overall picture of performance. Meeting a Standard means that we are satisfied that a regulator is performing well in that area.
In January 2022, we implemented a new performance review approach, starting with the 2021/22 round of reviews. In the new process, we undertake a ‘periodic review’ of each regulator every three years. This is our opportunity to look closely at all aspects of the regulator’s work. Between these reviews, we monitor their performance, focusing on areas of risk. This year, we undertook a periodic review of the GCC.
ENDS
Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care
Contact: media@professionalstandards.org.uk
Notes to the Editor
- The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care oversees 10 statutory bodies that regulate health and social care professionals in the UK.
- We assess their performance and report to Parliament. We also conduct audits and investigations and can appeal fitness to practise cases to the courts if we consider that sanctions are insufficient to protect the public and it is in the public interest.
- We also set standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for health and social care occupations and accredit those that meet them.
- We share good practice and knowledge, conduct research and introduce new ideas to our sector. We monitor policy developments in the UK and internationally and provide advice on issues relating to professional standards in health and social care.
- We do this to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of users of health and social care services and the public. We are an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament.
- Our values are – integrity, transparency, respect, fairness and teamwork – and we strive to ensure that they are at the core of our work.
- More information about our work and the approach we take is available at www.professionalstandards.org.uk