General Optical Council

Who are we and what do we do?
The General Optical Council is one of 13 organisations in the UK known as health and social care regulators. We each oversee the health and social care professions by regulating individual professionals.

Each regulator was set up to protect the public so that whenever you see a health or social care professional, you can be sure they meet certain standards.

Who is registered?
Anyone from one of the 13 professions must register with the relevant regulator. If they do not, they are breaking the law and can be prosecuted.

Because regulation is so important to standards of treatment and care, the registers for each profession are open to the public. If you want to check a health or social care professional is registered, visit the individual regulator’s website or call them.

The 13 UK regulatory bodies
General Chiropractic Council (GCC)
Chiropractors
T: 020 7713 5155
www.gcc-uk.org

General Dental Council (GDC)
Dentists and dental therapists, dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians and orthodontic therapists
T: 020 7887 3800
www.gdc-uk.org

General Medical Council (GMC)
Doctors
T: 0845 357 3456
www.gmc-uk.org

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
Nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses
T: 020 7637 7181
www.nmc-uk.org 

General Optical Council (GOC)
Opticians
T: 020 7580 3898
www.optical.org

General Osteopathic Council (GOsC)
Osteopaths
T: 020 7357 6655
www.osteopathy.org.uk

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB)
Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises
T: 020 7572 2510
www.rpsgb.org.uk

Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland
Pharmacists in Northern Ireland
T: 028 9032 6927
www.psni.org.uk

General Social Care Council (GSCC)
Social care workers (England)
T: 020 7397 5100
www.gscc.org.uk

Care Council for Wales
Social care workforce (Wales), qualified social workers, child care managers/workers, adult residential managers/care workers, domiciliary care managers/workers and social work students on approved degree courses in Wales
T: 0845 0700 399
www.ccwales.org.uk 

Northern Ireland Social Care Council
Social care workforce (Northern Ireland), qualified social workers, team leaders and all care staff in residential childcare, heads of residential homes, heads of day care facilities and social work students
T: 028 9041 7600
www.niscc.info

Scottish Social Services Council
Social care workforce (Scotland), qualified social workers, care commission officers, residential child care workers and social work students
T: 0845 6030 891
www.sssc.uk.com

Health Professions Council
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
T: 020 7582 0866
www.hpc-uk.org

Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE)
The aim of the CHRE is to protect the public, promote best practice and progress excellence in relation to the regulation of healthcare professionals. They oversee nine of the UK healthcare regulators. For more information, visit www.chre.org.uk or call 020 7389 8030.