When it comes to choosing a medical expert for a negligence claim, choosing a relevant expert with a regulated title means that you are getting the attention of a true expert in their field. It is easy for someone to call themself a psychologist without any form of regulation. However, to use the term’ clinical psychologist’, you must be registered to do so. 

Why Regulation Is Vital

The process of registration ensures that regulatory standards are upheld. The Health and Care Professions Council seeks to deliver registration for professionals within the health and care industries and offer protected title status. These titles are protected by law, and to use the designated titles, individuals must uphold the requirements of the HCPC, which include meeting standards for training, professional skills, behaviour and health, showing they have completed training, meeting relevant thresholds for proficiency on joining and throughout their membership term for health and care professionals across a range of 15 different industry professions.

Choosing A True Expert Witness 

In clinical negligence cases, using a registered, professionally titled individual can be the only way to have full recourse. When it comes to receiving honesty and open service, registered professionals have a duty of candour to build professional relationships and maintain public confidence in the healthcare profession. Those holding one of the health and care-protected titles that are called to give expert evidence or testimony to any care review or legal action, are duty-bound to be truthful.

How to select an expert and know what this means

Firstly it’s essential to know the groups of individuals covered by HCPCs regulation of health, psychological and care professionals within the UK, including those working to support individuals with mental and physical challenges.

Within each sector, there are designated protected titles. You can check whether anyone who claims the title has the right to use it by searching the registration database on the HCPC website. To conduct a search, you need to know the individuals’ surname or registration number and select the profession under which they practise. The results will then show you an approximate geographical location, their unique identifier, their full name and registration status. If there are any conditions of practice they must meet to comply with continuing registration, or whether they are in interim measures, have been issued with cautions or are in interim or final suspension from practising.

Annotations are also added to highlight any additional entitlements the individual has gained, such as additional training around medicines. Such as the right to sell, supply, administer or prescribe medications. These annotations are a legal requirement, so you can check that the practices carried out by a registered professional are in accordance with their registration terms.

Check Your Expert Witness Is Still Registered

Each profession has a different two-year registration cycle, so the dates you see relate to the start and finish of the profession’s registration period. They are unrelated to the individual’s time practising or the time they have been qualified.

If your chosen professional is found on the list (remember there may be slight differences in how their name is recorded), then you can expect a level of expertise and professionalism that you can rely on and have recourse to a professional body for any failing.