Disclosure · Self-referral

Should You Self-Refer to Your Regulator? What to Consider

What the GMC, NMC, HCPC, GDC and Social Work England require you to report, how quickly, which old cautions and convictions are protected, the grey areas where it is your judgement, and how to make a self-referral that helps rather than harms.

Five regulators compared Protected cautions Decision path

Short answer: you must self-refer when your regulator's standards say so. Across the UK regulators, that always includes a police caution, a criminal charge or a conviction that is not protected, and action by another regulator. Some regulators go further: the GDC and Social Work England cover criminal proceedings anywhere in the world, and the HCPC also wants to know if an employer restricts, suspends or dismisses you over your conduct or competence. Beyond those duties, self-referral is a judgement call, for example about a serious clinical incident or a health condition, and the answer depends on whether there is an ongoing risk to patients or public confidence. When in doubt, take advice quickly, because a late or missing disclosure can cause more harm than the original event.

Key takeaways

There are two kinds of self-referral: the ones your standards require, and the ones that are your judgement.
Each regulator's list is different. Read yours, not a colleague's.
Old cautions and convictions can be protected, but specified offences and custodial sentences never are.
A health condition that is well managed, with no risk to patients, usually does not need a referral.
In 2026, the High Court sent a doctor's case back for a fresh hearing because the GMC had not alleged that his failure to disclose was dishonest.

Our guide to responding to a fitness to practise concern covers the first two weeks after a concern is raised, including who you may need to tell. This guide goes further into the self-referral decision itself: what each regulator requires, where the grey areas are, and how to do it well.

Two kinds of self-referral

Required

Your standards say you must

Cautions, charges, convictions, action by another regulator and, depending on your regulator, other events such as employer action or criticism by an official inquiry. There is no judgement involved about whether to report. The only questions are how quickly, and how well.

Judgement

You decide, ideally with advice

A serious clinical incident, a complaint, a health condition, or concerns your employer is already handling. Here the question is whether there is an ongoing risk to patients, public confidence or professional standards that your regulator needs to know about.

What each regulator requires you to report

The table compares the reporting duties in each regulator's standards. It summarises the wording; the standards themselves are linked in the sources.

Regulator	Criminal matters	Other regulators	Employer or other events	How quickly
GMC Good medical practice 2024, paras 99 and 100	A caution or equivalent, a charge, or a guilty finding, anywhere in the world	A finding against your registration by another professional body	Criticism by an official inquiry. If an organisation suspends or restricts you, tell the organisations you work for and patients you see independently	"Without delay"
NMC The Code, 23.2 and 23.3	A caution, a charge, a conditional discharge or a guilty finding, other than protected ones. Tell employers too	Discipline by any regulatory or licensing body	Tell your employers if your practice is restricted or has conditions	"As soon as you can"
HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics, 9.5	A caution, a charge or a guilty finding	Action or a finding by another health or social care regulator	Any restriction, suspension or dismissal by an employer over your conduct or competence	"As soon as possible"
GDC Standards for the Dental Team, 9.3	Any criminal proceedings, anywhere in the world	Being subject to another healthcare regulator's fitness to practise procedures, or a finding by one, in the UK or abroad	Being placed on a barred list held by the Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland	"Immediately"
Social Work England Professional standards, 6.6	Criminal proceedings, anywhere in the world	A regulatory finding, anywhere in the world	Anything that might affect your ability to do your job competently or your fitness to practise	Not specified

Three differences catch people out. First, the GDC and Social Work England require you to report criminal proceedings, which is wider than a charge or conviction. Second, the HCPC is the only one of these regulators that expects you to report employer action directly to it. Third, the GMC, GDC and Social Work England expressly cover events anywhere in the world, so an overseas matter is not exempt. Other regulators, such as the GPhC, GOC, GCC, GOsC, PSNI and SSSC, have their own requirements, so check your own standards.

Disclosure is also about honesty The GMC also requires you to cooperate with formal inquiries and complaints procedures, provide all relevant information and be open and honest. The HCPC requires you to co-operate with any investigation into your conduct or competence. Self-referral is one part of a wider duty of openness with your regulator, which our probity guide explains.

Renewal and revalidation declarations Self-referral is not the only point at which you are asked. Registration renewal, revalidation and, for doctors, annual appraisal all ask you to declare relevant matters. Something you did not report at the time will usually have to be declared there, and an inaccurate declaration is itself a probity concern. Our probity guide explains declarations at appraisal and revalidation.

Protected cautions and convictions

Some old cautions and convictions are "protected", which means they are filtered from standard and enhanced criminal record checks and generally do not need to be disclosed. The NMC Code and the HCPC both exclude protected cautions and convictions from what you must report. The rules below are the Disclosure and Barring Service filtering rules for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

Adult cautionProtected after 6 yearsif it is not for a specified offence

Adult convictionProtected after 11 yearsif it is not for a specified offence and did not lead to a custodial sentence

Conviction under 18Protected after 5.5 yearsif it is not for a specified offence and did not lead to a custodial sentence

Never protectedAlways disclosedspecified offences, which include serious violent and sexual offences, and any conviction that led to a custodial sentence

Since November 2020, each conviction is assessed on its own; having more than one conviction no longer automatically prevents filtering. Working out whether a specific caution or conviction is protected can be technical, so check the official filtering guidance or take advice rather than assuming. If you are unsure, it is safer to ask than to stay silent.

The grey areas: when it is your judgement

Most self-referral dilemmas are not about criminal matters. They are about clinical incidents, complaints and health. Here is how the guidance approaches the common situations.

A serious clinical incident

Usually handled locally first

Most incidents are investigated by your employer. Self-referral becomes more relevant where there is an ongoing risk to patients that local action has not addressed, or where your employer is considering referral. Take advice before deciding.

A health condition

Only if there is a risk

The GMC says no referral is needed where there are no concerns about your conduct and no risk relating to the care you provide. It does need to consider your health if you are working and there are serious concerns about your care that your health may have contributed to, if you are not seeking treatment or engaging with support, or if a new condition is not yet controlled. The NMC says to self-refer if a condition is likely to affect your fitness to practise, but not where effective adjustments keep practice safe.

An employer investigation

Depends on your regulator

At the HCPC, a restriction, suspension or dismissal over conduct or competence must be reported. At the GMC and NMC, the duty is to tell your employers and others about restrictions. The employer may also refer you itself. Ask whether it intends to.

A complaint from a patient

Rarely on its own

A complaint being handled through the complaints process does not usually need a self-referral on its own. What matters is the underlying concern and whether it suggests an ongoing risk.

A matter overseas

Often required

The GMC, GDC and Social Work England expressly include events anywhere in the world, including action by an overseas regulator. Do not assume a matter abroad is outside your UK regulator's interest.

A fixed penalty or parking fine

No referral needed

The NMC says it does not investigate fixed penalty notices or parking contraventions. A motoring offence that leads to a charge or conviction, such as drink driving, is different and must be reported.

A decision path

Use these questions in order. They will not decide every case, but they show where the decision really lies.

Is it on your regulator's must-report list?
Yes: if it is an old caution or conviction, check question 2 first. Otherwise, report it quickly and tell your employer where your standards require. No: go to question 3.
If it is an old caution or conviction, is it protected?
Yes: you generally do not need to report it. Not sure: check the filtering rules or take advice before deciding. No: report it.
Is there an ongoing risk to patients or public confidence?
Yes, or possibly: self-referral is likely to be appropriate. Take advice on timing and content. No: go to question 4.
Is your employer already handling it, with effective action in place?
Yes: a self-referral may not be needed, but ask whether your employer intends to refer. No: take advice on whether to self-refer.

Why not disclosing is the bigger risk

A failure to disclose can turn a manageable matter into an honesty concern. Once a regulator learns of something you should have reported, it will ask why you did not, and what you knew at the time.

Real case · High Court · 2026

General Medical Council and PSA v Grajn [2026] EWHC 1157 (Admin)

The facts. A transplant surgeon practising in the UK had been investigated in Australia, and in September 2023 an Australian tribunal made findings against him. He did not tell his UK employer or the GMC about the determination. He had also not disclosed the Australian investigation to his employer when asked, before starting work in 2020.

What happened. A medical practitioners tribunal suspended him for 12 months. The GMC and the Professional Standards Authority appealed. The High Court found a serious procedural irregularity: the GMC had not alleged that his failure to disclose was dishonest. The judge said his state of mind when he decided not to notify his employer and the GMC was of real significance to both impairment and sanction.

The outcome. All of the tribunal's decisions were quashed, and the case was sent back to a differently constituted tribunal for a fresh hearing, including the dishonesty allegations.

The lesson: the decision not to disclose can become a separate allegation, judged on what you knew and why you stayed silent. A prompt, honest self-referral removes that risk entirely.

This is the pattern our probity guide calls the second-concern trap: the response to a first concern creating a second, more serious one. If you already have a disclosure you should have made earlier, our guide to dishonesty allegations explains how panels approach state of mind.

How to self-refer well

The NMC has an online self-referral form and says it encourages registrants to provide "as much relevant information and evidence as soon as you can". Other regulators explain their own routes on their websites. Whichever you use, a good self-referral covers the same ground.

What happened

The facts, with dates, in plain language. No minimising and no speculation.

Where it stands

For criminal matters, the stage reached: caution, charge, next court date or outcome. Attach official documents where you have them.

Who you have told

Your employer and any other organisations you work for, with dates.

What you have done

Any steps already taken: stepping back from practice, treatment, support, training or supervision.

Your reflection

A short, honest early reflection, if you are ready. You can add to it later.

Your adviser

If a defence organisation, union or solicitor is helping you, their details.

Keep a copy of everything you send, and a note of the date. If you are not ready to write a full account, a short factual notification now is better than a complete one later.

What happens after you self-refer

A self-referral is assessed through the same process as any other concern. The NMC says that if you self-refer, it will start an investigation to decide whether what you have told it amounts to an allegation of impaired fitness to practise, and that it will "take your own situation and context into account". Its screening considers whether there is evidence of an ongoing risk to public safety, public confidence or professional standards. Many matters close at this stage.

If the matter goes further, our guides to the investigation stage and to writing your response explain the next steps. Starting your reflection and learning early, rather than waiting for the outcome, gives you more to show decision-makers.

Core course

Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals

4 CPD hours and 40 scenario questions on impairment, insight, remediation and reflection, with a certificate when you pass. Useful from the day you self-refer.

£150 Enrol now See the full curriculum

Completing a course does not change or predict any regulator's decision. Courses are educational and support your own reflection and development.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to self-refer if I have been arrested but not charged?

It depends on your regulator. The GMC, NMC and HCPC refer to cautions, charges and convictions. The GDC and Social Work England refer to criminal proceedings, which can be wider. Check your own standards and take advice promptly.

Do I need to tell my regulator about a police caution?

Yes, unless it is protected. The GMC, NMC and HCPC all list cautions. In England and Wales, an adult caution for a non-specified offence becomes protected after six years.

Do I need to report a speeding fine or parking ticket?

Generally no. The NMC says it does not investigate fixed penalty notices or parking contraventions. A motoring matter that leads to a charge or conviction, such as drink driving, must be reported.

Should I self-refer for a mental or physical health condition?

Only if it poses a risk. The GMC says no referral is needed where there are no concerns about your conduct and no risk to the care you provide. The NMC says to self-refer if a condition is likely to affect your fitness to practise, but not where effective adjustments keep practice safe.

Should I self-refer if my employer is investigating me?

At the HCPC, you must report any restriction, suspension or dismissal over your conduct or competence. At other regulators, the decision depends on the concern and whether there is an ongoing risk. Ask your employer whether it intends to refer, and take advice.

Does self-referring count in my favour?

It shows openness. The NMC says it will take your own situation and context into account when you self-refer. More importantly, not disclosing when you should can become a separate and more serious concern.

Do I have to report something that happened abroad?

Often yes. The GMC, GDC and Social Work England expressly cover events anywhere in the world, including findings by overseas regulators.

How quickly must I self-refer?

The wording varies: "immediately" for the GDC, "without delay" for the GMC, "as soon as you can" for the NMC and "as soon as possible" for the HCPC. In practice, report promptly and do not wait for the outcome of criminal proceedings.

What if I should have self-referred earlier but did not?

Get advice and disclose now. A late disclosure is better than none, but expect to be asked why it was late. Be honest about your reasons.

Primary sources

11 official documents and judgments