Raising Concerns

The GCRB promotes the value of good genetic counselling practice. GCRB members are responsible for ensuring that Registered Genetic Counsellors practice in accordance with the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (AGNC) Code of Ethics and the GCRB Code of Conduct. All serious complaints against the GCRB or a Registered Genetic Counsellor are managed by the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS).

What should I do about raising a concern?

Concerns about a Registered Genetic Counsellor

In most cases, it is best to raise your concern locally first. You can do this by contacting the Head of the Department in which the Registered Genetic Counsellor works, or by contacting the Patient Advisory and Liaison Services (PALS) if you were seen in an NHS Hospital Trust. Alternatively you could contact the Chief Executive of the healthcare organisation employing that Registered Genetic Counsellor.

The Head of Department and the Registered Genetic Counsellor’s employer (usually an NHS Hospital Trust) can sometimes deal with your concerns quickly and fairly without the need for involvement of the GCRB or AHCS. The employer may decide to refer the case to the Regulator, in this situation they will be able to send on all the information from their investigation, which makes the process much quicker.

For information on how to raise a concern or make a complaint about a Registered Genetic Counsellor's fitness to practice through the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS), particularly where patient safety or safeguarding matters are concerned, please click here.

Concerns about the Genetic Counsellor Registration Board?

The GCRB aims to provide a fair, transparent, and responsive service for patients, the public, genetic counsellors and employers. For this reason the GCRB is concerned that a person who is not satisfied with the GCRB should have the opportunity to air their grievance or to make a complaint and seek resolution. The complaint can be against a board member, a panel convened by the GCRB, or a GCRB employee, such as the administrator. In the first instance, any grievance could be taken to the Chair of the GCRB either directly or by emailing enquiries@gcrb.org.uk. If the grievance is not resolved in this manner then it would be appropriate to take it to the Academy for Healthcare Science.

For more information on how to raise concerns about a registered genetic counsellor, or the Genetic Counsellor Registration Board itself, through the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) please click here.