Professional Standards Authority

05/06/2026

Barriers can prevent people from raising concerns about health and social care – meaning missed opportunities to learn, improve, and protect the public.

For our Complaints Hot Topic reading of the week, we’re highlighting a joint blog with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman exploring:
• why people may wish to complain
• why complaints matter
• the barriers people face
• what organisations can do to break them down

We hope that by highlighting them and continuing to work with partners across the health and care sector, we can encourage and support others to improve the culture around complaints and break down the barriers people face when making one.

Written by Rebecca Hilsenrath (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and Alan Clamp (PSA Chief Executive).

Read more: https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/news-and-updates/news/barriers-complaints-what-are-they-and-how-can-we-break-them-down

05/06/2026

Don't forget to have your say on the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council - CNHC's proposal to include Tai Chi, Qigong and EFT Tapping practitioners on its Accredited Register.

If you have relevant experience or evidence, we would welcome your feedback on:
• how these roles support people in practice
• any risks or limitations
• how these roles are described to the public

Share your views by 12 June:
https://forms.office.com/e/DeFkSJW7Ax

04/06/2026

We welcome the publication of the Lord Mann Review, which looked at how the system for regulating healthcare professionals deals with antisemitism and other forms of racism at every stage, from employment to professional oversight.

Racism and antisemitism in the NHS can seriously affect public trust and confidence in both professionals and healthcare services. They can also make patients, families and staff feel unsafe. It is important that professional regulators, along with others in the system, take action to tackle this.

The Review recommends giving the PSA additional powers, including:
• a new power to appeal interim order decisions, which are made before a final decision on a healthcare professional’s fitness to practise
• a proposed new power to require the General Medical Council (GMC) to share information with us

It also recommends additional accountability arrangements and expects us to do more to bring regulators together and communicate with them about their responsibilities in this area. There are further recommendations for regulators, employers and other stakeholders.

We welcome these recommendations and will start planning how to work with others to take them forward. We will publish more information later this month about the proposed new powers in our response to the consultation on the GMC’s new legislation.

Read our full statement here: https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/news-and-updates/news/mann-review-recommendations-much-needed-boost-tackling-antisemitism-and

03/06/2026

“Will we soon be in a time where aspects of AI use are so ubiquitous that we expect and understand that they are in use somewhere through the process?”

This is just one of the questions explored in our latest newsletter. As we head towards summer, we’re pleased to share the Spring edition of The Standard.

In this issue, we look at developments in AI, the General Medical Council (GMC) Order consultation, and what we learned from the All-Party Parliamentary Health Group event at the UK House of Lords—along with other updates you may have missed.

You can read the latest issue, as well as previous editions, here:
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/news-and-updates/news/e-newsletter-standard

02/06/2026

Only a couple of days remain to apply for these roles. Click below if you're an experienced professional, looking to join our Policy Team.

Data Analyst: https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/data-analyst-part-time-fixed-term

Policy Advisor: https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/policy-advisor-fixed-term-part-time

We’re recruiting: two part‑time secondment opportunities at the PSA

We’re looking for experienced professionals to join our Policy Team on a fixed‑term basis to support an important commission from the Scottish Government.

The roles:
• Data Analyst – 3 days per week, approximately 3 months. You will focus on data collection and analysis during the first phase of the commission, working closely with a Policy Manager and Policy Advisor.
• Policy Advisor – 4 days per week, approximately 9 months. You will lead a piece of commissioned work, analysing evidence of risk and identifying potential solutions.

Both roles will support a Right Touch Assurance (RTA) assessment of Healthcare Science roles in Scotland, examining whether current regulatory and employer controls are sufficient to manage risks to patient and public safety.

Deadline: 4 June 2026 (11.59pm)
Salary: £61,475 pro rata

Click below to apply.

Data Analyst ⬇️
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/data-analyst-part-time-fixed-term
Policy Advisor ⬇️
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/policy-advisor-fixed-term-part-time

01/06/2026

As we move into June, we’re focusing on a new Hot Topic: complaints.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll look at the barriers people face when trying to raise concerns, the value of storytelling, and why hearing patient voices matters.

We’ll be sharing a Q&A, recommended reading and resources to support better understanding.

Follow along to learn more.

01/06/2026

We are pleased to welcome Ododo Ediagbonya to our Board.

Ododo brings extensive experience in governance, public investment oversight and system improvement across local government and the Greater London Authority. She joins as an Associate Board Member, helping to strengthen diversity of thought at Board level.

Our Chief Executive, Alan Clamp, said he looks forward to the insights she will bring.

Find out more:
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/news-and-updates/news/psa-welcomes-ododo-ediagbonya-its-board

29/05/2026

⚠️ Trigger warning: sexual misconduct ⚠️

Over the past month, we have been exploring tackling and preventing sexual misconduct as our PSA Hot Topic.

Across readings, events, a Q&A and shared resources, a few themes have emerged:

- Sexual misconduct has no place in health and social care and yet it is widespread and often under‑recognised
- Testimony is evidence, and investigators need the skills and support to assess it effectively
- Trauma and experiences of harm can shape how evidence is given and understood
- Prevention requires whole‑system action, including culture, leadership, training and clear processes
- Consistency in decision‑making remains a key challenge across regulators
- Lived experience and survivor voices are essential to improving responses and building safer cultures

This month has not been the end of the conversation. Our work on tackling and preventing sexual misconduct is ongoing.

To explore our continuing work, visit our tackling and preventing sexual misconduct page:

Find out more about the PSA's work around identifying, tackling and preventing sexual misconduct in health and social care.

28/05/2026

We’re recruiting: two part‑time secondment opportunities at the PSA

We’re looking for experienced professionals to join our Policy Team on a fixed‑term basis to support an important commission from the Scottish Government.

The roles:
• Data Analyst – 3 days per week, approximately 3 months. You will focus on data collection and analysis during the first phase of the commission, working closely with a Policy Manager and Policy Advisor.
• Policy Advisor – 4 days per week, approximately 9 months. You will lead a piece of commissioned work, analysing evidence of risk and identifying potential solutions.

Both roles will support a Right Touch Assurance (RTA) assessment of Healthcare Science roles in Scotland, examining whether current regulatory and employer controls are sufficient to manage risks to patient and public safety.

Deadline: 4 June 2026 (11.59pm)
Salary: £61,475 pro rata

Click below to apply.

Data Analyst ⬇️
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/data-analyst-part-time-fixed-term
Policy Advisor ⬇️
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/policy-advisor-fixed-term-part-time

28/05/2026

Our performance review of the Nursing and Midwifery Council - NMC for the period 1 January - 31 December 2025 is out now.

Usually, we do periodic reviews every three years, but given the concerns identified in the July 2024 Independent Culture Review by Nazir Afzal OBE and Rise Associates, and the outcome of last year’s periodic review (the NMC met 11 of the 18 Standards), we undertook a further periodic review for 2024/25.

For this period, the NMC has met 9 out of the 18 Standards.

Although we recognise steps being taken to deliver improvement, progress has been mixed and there are some areas where the NMC has taken very limited action to address issues identified in our last review. In our report we have made many recommendations for the NMC, to show areas where we expect the organisation to urgently focus on improving its performance.

Click here for the report and more detail on the Standards which were not met, including the EDI Standard, self-reporting and addressing concerns, and maintaining an accurate register:
https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/news-and-updates/news/psa-publishes-its-review-nursing-and-midwifery-councils-performance-202425