The Genetic Counsellor Registration Board (GCRAB) sets and monitors standards in the UK; Republic of Ireland, for

• entry into the Genetic Counselling profession,
• registration of Genetic Counsellors,
• maintenance of registration and
• disciplinary proceedings.

In 2019 the GCRAB register was transferred to the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS). A GCRAB Board Member sits on the AHCS Healthcare Science Regulation Council and Genetic Counsellors who have met the GCRAB assessment criteria are now included in the AHCS public register of Practitioners accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

For more details about PSA accredited registers click here. Accreditation means that the AHCS has met the Authority’s demanding standards in respect of governance, setting standards, education and training, managing the register, providing information and complaints handling. For further details about the AHCS click here Web-01.

Some Genetic Counsellors take a different route for registration and instead are registered through the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC). This includes Clinical Scientist Training Programme (STP) trained Genetic Counsellors and those who apply for STP Equivalence. For further details about the HCPC click here . Only Registered Genetic Counsellors come under the remit of the AHCS and GCRAB or HCPC. When recruiting a Genetic Counsellor, it is important to check if the applicant is registered with the AHCS or HCPC. The Register gives you access to a list of counsellors who have applied and met the standards for registration.

To view the status of a Genetic Counsellor, please check the AHCS Register or HCPC Register. A registrant whose fitness to practice is under question should be referred to the AHCS or HCPC. For further information on how to raise concerns or a complaint about a registered genetic counsellor please look at our concerns.

Registered Genetic Counsellors working in private practice may fall under a regulated activity in the diagnostic and/or screening services (DSS) and so could fall under the scope of registration with the Care Quality Commission in England; Care Commission in Scotland; Health Improvement in Wales; Regulation & Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland the Health Improvement Quality Authority. For information on registered genetic counsellors working in private practice please click here.

If you have any other queries, please contact the GCRAB administrator at [email protected]