Policy on health and conduct declarations

The Register of Clinical Technologists (RCT) protects the public by setting standards for the competence and conduct of clinical technologists, so that they are fit to practise.

Competence is assured by setting educational standards for entry to the register and by requiring registrants, under clause 4 of the Code of Professional Conduct, to keep their knowledge and skills up to date through continuing professional development (CPD). Registrants confirm each year, when they renew, that they have undertaken CPD. A random sample of CPD records is audited each year.

Good conduct is assured by requiring compliance with the Code, including an annual declaration when registrants renew.

The Code includes a requirement for registrants to ‘ensure that the well-being, interests and dignity of patients are promoted and safeguarded at all times’ (clause 1). Under this clause, registrants should consider whether any health condition they have, or change to their health, affects their ‘fitness to practise’ and should therefore be declared in the best interests of their patients.

This policy sets out what registrants must declare about their health and conduct, both when they first apply and throughout their registration, and what the RCT does with those declarations.

Health

When a person first applies to join the register, they are asked to sign a declaration to confirm that they do not have a health condition that would affect their ability to practise their profession. Applicants only need to declare information about a health condition if they believe their health may affect their ability to practise safely and effectively. If it comes to light that an applicant gave inaccurate or incomplete information, this is dealt with under the fitness to practise procedure and they may be removed from the register.

Once registered, registrants are asked to confirm that their health does not affect their ability to practise when they renew their registration each year.

Registrants need only declare health changes that affect their ability to practise, when they apply or renew. They may tell the RCT about a change at any other time if they wish.

Conduct

Applicants are asked to fill in a self-declaration as part of their initial application to join the register about their past conduct. In this declaration they must declare whether they:

have ever been convicted of a criminal offence or received a police caution or conditional discharge for a criminal offence other than a ‘protected caution’ or ‘protected conviction’ (that is, one filtered out of a DBS check);
have ever been disciplined by a professional or regulatory organisation or their employer or educational establishment; or
have ever had civil proceedings other than a divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership brought against them (for example, claims for compensation or breach of contract).

While a clinical technologist remains on the RCT, they have a responsibility to inform the RCT immediately about any convictions or cautions they receive while registered. They must also inform the RCT of any professional, regulatory or disciplinary proceedings taken against them by a professional body, a regulator, educational body or their employer. Report these as soon as the outcome is known; do not wait for the annual renewal declaration. If it comes to light that a registrant gave inaccurate or incomplete information, at application or later, this is dealt with under the fitness to practise procedure and they may be removed from the register.

Handling declarations

Information on health or conduct issues declared by existing registrants will be passed to the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) of the RCT to be dealt with under the fitness to practise procedure, which is published on this website.

Information on health or conduct issues declared at the time of application will be considered by the registration assessors, who will make a recommendation to the RCT Management Board about whether the individual should be admitted to the register (if all other requirements have been met). The assessors consider whether, given their past conduct, the applicant is likely to meet the standards in the Code and so should be registered.

Driving offences

Fixed-penalty motoring offences (such as speeding, breaching load restrictions or using a mobile phone while driving) do not need to be declared. Other convictions should be declared.

What is a protected caution or protected conviction?

Since May 2013, certain minor cautions and convictions are filtered out of standard and enhanced DBS certificates. A protected caution or conviction is eligible for filtering and does not need to be disclosed for jobs that are subject to standard or enhanced DBS checks.

For full information on which cautions and convictions are protected, see the DBS filtering guidance.

This guidance is also available as a PDF.

Read the full policy (PDF)