Independent quality mark for Registered Genetic Counsellors
The Genetic Counsellor Registration Board (GCRB) is delighted to announce that the GCRB’s register has been accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under its Accredited Registers programme.
Accreditation means that the GCRB has met the Authority’s demanding standards in the following areas: governance, setting standards, education and training, managing the register, providing information and complaints handling.
Registered Genetic Counsellors on the GCRB’s register will be able to display the Accredited Register quality mark, a sign that they belong to a register which meets the Professional Standards Authority’s robust standards. The GCRB needed to provide evidence and demonstrate to the Authority that it meets the Accreditation Standards. Accreditation will be reviewed annually.
Diane Stirling, GCRB Chair said: “The quality mark will give extra peace of mind for anyoneseeing a Registered Genetic Counsellor, letting them know that anyone who holds the mark is committed to high standards. The GCRB is pleased to offer the quality mark to Registered Genetic Counsellors that meet the far reaching standards of our register, as approved by the Professional Standards Authority.”
Harry Cayton, Chief Executive of the Professional Standards Authority said: “We are very pleased to accredit the GCRB’s register of genetic counsellors. Bringing genetic counsellors into a broad framework of assurance is good for patients, service users and the public and is the best way to promote quality. The programme offers enhanced consumer protection to anyone looking for health and social care services, and gives genetic counsellors the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to good practice.”
Alastair Kent OBE, Director of Genetic Alliance UK, said: “This is great news. Patients now have a means to be sure of the quality of the genetic counselling they are receiving. This is a crucial activity that manages the delivery of some of the most sensitive health information one can ever receive, and so it is important that the quality of genetic counselling is assured.”
Accreditation does not imply that the Authority has assessed the merits of individuals on the register. This remains the responsibility of the GCRB. It does not mean that the Authority has endorsed any particular aspect of genetic counselling practice.
Accredited Registers encompass a growing range of occupations and organisations and the Professional Standards Authority may accredit more than one register in any particular occupation.
Further information about the GCRB is available at
information about Accredited Registers is available at