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The PSA welcomes Government announcement on use of ‘nurse’ title
12 May 2025
The Government has announced new measures to protect the title ‘nurse’ in law. Only the title ‘registered nurse’ is currently protected in law.
New legislation will mean that anyone misleading the public and describing themselves as a ‘nurse’ without the relevant qualifications and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (one of the regulators overseen by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care) will be committing a crime.
Responding to the announcement, Caroline Corby, Chair of the PSA said:
“We welcome this. Titles are meaningless if they are not protected. Protecting titles can reduce the risk of harm to the public by deterring unqualified people from passing themselves off as registered professionals. However, this only works if backed up by action, including prosecution in serious cases.
More broadly, it's important there is clarity for the public and employers about which health and care titles are protected. We urge the UK Government to review whether the current protected titles are the right ones when each regulator’s legislation is reviewed.”
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 (PSA) is the UK’s oversight body for the regulation of people working in health and social care. Our statutory remit, independence and expertise underpin our commitment to the safety of patients and service-users, and to the protection of the public.
- There are 10 organisations that regulate health professionals in the UK and social workers in England by law. We audit their performance and review their decisions on practitioners’ fitness to practise. We also accredit and set standards for organisations holding registers of health and care practitioners not regulated by law. We collaborate with all of these organisations to improve standards.
- We share good practice, knowledge and our right-touch regulation expertise. We also conduct and promote research on regulation. We monitor policy developments in the UK and internationally, providing guidance to governments and stakeholders. Through our UK and international consultancy, we share our expertise and broaden our regulatory insights.