Psychologists to be independently regulated
Psychologists to be independently regulated
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Wednesday, 01, Jul 2009 12:05
Psychologists will be statutorily and independently regulated for the first time from today.
The Health Professions Council (HPC) will become the official regulator and take on the responsibility for protecting the public by maintaining the register of practitioner psychologists.
All of those on the register will now have to meet its standards for training, professional skills and behaviour.
New research shows the use of psychological services in the UK has risen to its highest ever level, with 25 per cent of UK adults, and a third of those aged 16-24, saying they have either sought or received the services of a practitioner psychologist at some stage in their lives.
However, the research also revealed that of those people who have had concerns after seeing a practitioner psychologist, 81 per cent of them said they felt there was nowhere, or no-one, to go to report their experiences
And mental health charity Mind has also said regulation of mental health practitioners must be extended to help stamp out abuse.
The charity claims patients will continue to be unprotected if regulation is not extended to counsellors and psychotherapists.
Psychological or "talking" therapies remain one of the least regulated areas of mental health practice in the UK, with anyone currently able can set themselves up as a counsellor or psychotherapist, Mind claims.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: "People go to see a counsellor or psychotherapist when they are in distress and it is unacceptable that at their most vulnerable they are not being properly protected.
"It is clear that self-regulation is not working and the government must press ahead with its plans to overhaul the system."
Currently there is no legislation preventing a psychotherapist or counsellor who is removed from the register of one organisation from continuing to operate under that title.