Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to introduce statutory regulation of clinical physiologists.

This Government believes that the statutory regulation of healthcare professionals should be used proportionately and only where the risks to public and patient protection cannot be addressed in other ways, such as through employer oversight, or accredited voluntary registration (AVR).

The Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists maintains a voluntary register for clinical physiologists, and has recently applied for AVR status with the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Voluntary registers that pass the PSA’s assessment can use its quality mark and appear in its list of accredited registers. This list is used by employers, patients, public and service users to choose a practitioner to meet their needs and be assured they are safe and competent to practise.