A number of high-profile cases of poor practice and misconduct by healthcare professionals damaged public confidence in healthcare. CHRE was set up by parliament in 2003 to oversee and co-ordinate the work of the regulators. It was given strong powers to ensure consistency and good practice in the public interest.

Complaints about a healthcare professional can be made to their employer and/or their regulatory body. CHRE can only help with complaints relating to a regulator?s decision about the conduct of healthcare professionals.

We cannot investigate individual complaints against regulators. However, we look carefully at all the complaints we receive and bring them to the attention of the regulator concerned. We take complaints into account in our work to improve regulation.

Yes. You will need to do so within 28 days (including non-working days) of the final decision being made. The complaint must be about a decision made by a fitness to practise committee. These committees deal with issues related to the performance or behaviour of professionals.

No. If a regulator decides not to refer a complaint about a professional to its fitness to practise committee we do not have the power to investigate.

As an individual, you have the right to challenge an 'unreasonably harsh' decision in the High Court (the Court of Sessions for Scotland and the High Court of Justice for Northern Ireland). CHRE does not have the power to refer decisions that the professional concerned considers too harsh.

The Bill will change the make-up of CHRE's governing Council. The Council will be smaller and there will no longer be representatives from the regulators on the Council. The Bill will also give CHRE new responsibilities such as auditing the early stages of regulators' fitness to practise procedures.