Making a referral to us
We exist to enable better and safer care. One of the ways we do this is by acting when someone tells us they have a concern about a nurse, midwife or nursing associate which could put the safety of patients at risk, or damage the public’s confidence in the nursing or midwifery professions.
Anyone can raise a concern if they feel the safety of patients or the public is at risk. It then becomes our duty as a regulator to decide whether the nurse, midwife or nursing associate is fit to practise and meets our standards. This page is for referrals from employers or other organisations, colleagues and other healthcare professionals or if you're a nurse, midwife or nursing associate who needs to make a self referral.
If you're a member of the public then please see our Public and Patient support section.
When we consider a concern, it is through a formal legal process. The full process can take up to 15 months.
We'll use the information you provide to help us decide whether to take action against the nurse, midwife or nursing associate. In some cases, we'll decide that no further action is required.
We're committed to making sure that our fitness to practise processes are accessible for everyone. If you need help to bring your concerns to our attention, would like our information in another format, or need us to make an adjustment because of disability or injury, please get in touch with us.
We can only investigate complaints about nurses, midwives or nursing associates
If you have a complaint about another healthcare professional (eg. a doctor or healthcare support worker) or an establishment such as a hospital or care home, there are other healthcare regulators who can investigate.
Other healthcare regulators who can investigate
Regulator |
Who they regulate |
Phone number |
General Medical Council (GMC) | Doctors | 0845 357 8001 |
General Dental Council (GDC) | Dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists | 020 7887 3800 |
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) | Arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists, podiatrists, clinical scientists, dieticians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, prosthetists and orthotists, radiographers, speech and language therapists and social care workers, qualified social workers and social work students on approved degree courses in England | 020 7582 0866 |
General Optical Council (GOC) | Opticians | 020 7580 3898 |
General Chiropractic Council (GCC) | Chiropractors | 020 7713 5155 |
General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) | Osteopaths | 020 7357 6655 |
General Pharmaceutical Council (GPC) | Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians (on the voluntary register) and pharmacy premises | 020 3365 3400 |
Care Quality Commission | Health and adult social care services in England | 03000 616161 |
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) | Makes final decisions on complaints that have not been resolved by the NHS in England | 0345 015 4033 |
Care Council for Wales | Social care workers, qualified social workers, and social work students on approved degree courses in Wales | 0845 070 0399 |
Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) | Social care workers, qualified social workers, and social work students on approved degree courses in Northern Ireland | 02890 417600 02890 239340 (Text phone) |
Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) | Pharmacists and pharmacy premises in Northern Ireland | 02890 326927 |
Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) | Social care workers, qualified social workers, and social work students on approved degree courses in Scotland | 0845 603 0891 |
Healthcare assistants (HCAs) are not currently regulated in the UK. If a patient or member of the public has a complaint about a healthcare assistant, they should raise their concerns with the organisation that the healthcare assistant works for. |
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What we can't do
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What we can consider
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Working with employers