Designated bodies: understanding the rules
There is a clear set of rules that determines which designated body you are connected to. For most doctors, this is quite straightforward because their organisation will be the one in which they spend most or all of their practice.
For example:
- If you’re in foundation or specialty training in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, your designated body is your postgraduate deanery. If you are in training in Scotland, your designated body is NHS Education for Scotland.
- If you’re a GP on a performers list, your designated body is the primary care organisation that manages the list you are on (even if you practise as a locum).
- If you are employed by one NHS hospital, your designated body is that NHS organisation.
If these examples don't apply to you, the designated body that you are connected to will depend on:
- the number of organisations that you practise in and where you spend most of your practice
- the basis on which you are employed, such as whether you are employed, hold practising privileges or have another type of contract.
Please speak to your employer, if you have one, if you are unsure about your employment status.
Doctors without designated bodies
Most licensed doctors have a designated body. However, under the current responsible officer regulations which cover the whole of the UK, some doctors do not have a connection.
These regulations will change in April 2013 and several organisations will become new designated bodies. This means some doctors who are currently without a designated body will have one from this date onwards.
Our revalidation regulations, which commence on 3 December 2012, allow us to accept recommendations about doctors who do not have a responsible officer from ‘suitable persons’. This will allow some doctors who do not currently have a connection to engage in local systems and revalidate. Read more about ‘suitable persons’.
Resources for you
If you need help finding your designated body, please: