Frequently Asked Questions

Applying for GCC registration

Medical reports

What should I do if my GP refuses to provide a medical report?
Your report should be written by your current GP, where possible. However, if your GP is not prepared to provide a report, we will accept a report from a different GP, but it must be based on the past four years of your medical records.

My GP will not complete the online medical report?
While we would prefer that your GP complete the online report, we understand some GPs are hesitant about completing forms online and if that's the case, please ask them to complete the proforma available from our website at GP Report . 

This MUST be emailed back to registrations@gcc-uk.org. direct from the surgery account (not a generic account, such as hotmail, yahoo etc) so we can be sure it is from the GP.

If they are not prepared to do so, you will need to pick-up the original paper form and ask someone of professional standing to email a PDF copy to registrations@gcc-uk.org, from their verifiable business email account (again we won't accept a report sent to us from a generic email account, unless it can be verified) certifying it to be a true and accurate copy of the original.

I have existing or past health conditions – will they prevent me from becoming a chiropractor?

Your application is unlikely to be turned down on medical grounds if we are satisfied that you are successfully managing a health condition by taking steps which will avoid any risk to patients and will ensure that you have the ability to perform your job safely.

Therefore, if you have existing or pre-existing medical conditions, it is in your interest to provide us with as much information about your condition and how you are managing it as possible to allow us to make an accurate decision on your application.

Police records check

What are protected cautions and convictions?

A protected caution is protected from disclosure six years after it was accepted. If the offender was under 18 when the caution was accepted, then that period is reduced to two years. A protected conviction is protected from disclosure after 11 years. If the offender was under 18 when convicted then that period is reduced to five and a half years.

In either case a conviction will only be protected if the offender received a non-custodial sentence and has no other convictions.

A caution or conviction will NOT be protected if it is for a ‘listed offence’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Listed offences include serious violent and sexual offences, and offences which are of specific relevance to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. A caution or conviction for a listed offence must always be disclosed to us.

You can find further information on the Unlock website.

I’ve checked with the FBI and they will not email reports to the GCC. What should I do?

Although the FBI will not email reports to the GCC, the organisation will send an email with a link to download the report. Please email the link to us and we will download the report, but please don't download the report yourself as it is deleted 24 hours after viewing and we cannot guarantee to review within 24 hours. If you obtain a paper report, please follow the process listed above.

Certificate of Good Standing

What is a Certificate of Good Standing?

A Certificate of Good Standing is a document issued by a body that has a regulatory role, like the General Chiropractic Council, AHPRA or US chiropractic boards. It should include details of your registration or licensure, as well as confirmation of your disciplinary history. More information is here.

How do I know if I need to get one?

You will need to provide a certificate if you work in a regulated profession, whether chiropractic or not, in the UK or overseas or have done so in the past. There is no time limit on when you worked in a regulated profession, so you should consider it to mean for the whole of your working life to date.

What if I can’t get a Certificate of Good Standing?

It’s very rare that someone isn’t able to provide a Certificate of Good Standing or Current Professional Status. If this is the case then please provide evidence to show that you have attempted to obtain one, and we would normally expect to see an official response to confirm that it isn’t possible to obtain a certificate. While we understand that in certain circumstances it can take some time to acquire certificates, we will not accept this as a reason for not progressing to registration without it.

Test of Competence

What if I am absent or sick on the day of the interview?

If you are unable to attend the interview because of serious illness or another overwhelming problem, we will make a full refund of your fee. However, for us to refund your fee, you must tell us as soon as possible, and provide the following evidence:

illness - a medical certificate or a letter on appropriate headed paper covering the day of your interview

death or serious injury of a family member - a death or medical certificate as appropriate

any other difficulty you could have not foreseen - a letter from an appropriate person (such as an employer, for example)

What if something outside of my control has put me at a disadvantage?

You will need to apply for an exceptional mitigating circumstance. To do this you will need to read our Policy on Exceptional Mitigating Circumstances and complete the form included in the document.

What if I have a disability?

If you have a disability within the scope of the Equality Act 2010, we may be able to make reasonable adjustments to the interview. Read our Policy on Reasonable Adjustments for Disability to see what we can do if, for example, you have dyslexia, or a visual or motor impairment.

Will the panel be different if I have the resit the TOC?

If you fail the Test of Competence and subsequently apply to resit, there is a possibility that you may be assessed again by one of the same panel members. While we do our best to ensure you are assessed by different assessors this is not always possible.

Registration Fees

If I'm not registered for the full year, can I pay part of the fee?

The rules that govern the GCC do not allow us to offer pro-rata fees. This means that applicants must pay the full fee before joining, transferring, rejoining or retaining their name on the register.

We appreciate the fact we are unable to offer pro-rata fees may not be favourable for all registrants. It is something we are aware of but are currently unable to do anything about. Fees form part of our rules and therefore are absolute and are enshrined in law and changing rules is incredibly difficult in the current climate.

That's a lot of money to find in my first year of practice. Is there no way round it?

We fully appreciate that you will have just completed a course and will also have other costs to cover. Unfortunately, we have no other option but to ask that the full fee is paid before we grant registration.

Having said that, if you are not intending to register immediately and not before 10 November, we will not require a retention fee from you for next year. This means if you register on or after 10 November your registration will effectively continue through to the following November before you need to pay again. We appreciate this will not help everyone but it's all that is allowable under the rules.

What happens if I wait to register or restore my place on the register until after 10 November?

If you are registered or restored to the register on or after 10 November, you must pay the full registration or restoration fee.

However, we will not ask you for a retention fee for the following year. This means your registration will be, for example, from 10 November 2024 to 31 December 2024.

Important: If you are registered or restored before 10 November then you will need to apply for retention for the following year before 30 November, including paying the retention fee (£100 for non-practising registration, £800 for practising registration).

How do I access a receipt for either retention or a new registration?

Log in to the GCC: Registrants Portal page.
Click on the "Communications & Documents" tab.
"My Receipts" and then click on "View Receipts".

Please note that access to receipts is available for both retained and new registrants. Receipts can take up to one working day after payment to appear on the portal.

Visiting chiropractors for sporting events and seminars

I am a chiropractor travelling with an international sports team from outside the UK. Do I need to register with the GCC while in the UK? 

If you are a chiropractor from outside the UK travelling with a registered international sports team for an event at a specific time, you do not require registration with the GCC.

However, you can only undertake chiropractic treatments with members of your sports team. You cannot undertake chiropractic treatment with members of the public or other sports teams.

I have been invited to present at a seminar in the UK. Do I have to register with the GCC?

If you intend only to speak at the seminar and demonstrate techniques with volunteers, you do not require registration with the GCC. However, you cannot undertake chiropractic treatments with members of the public or outside the seminar presentation.

Transfer from non-practising to practising registration

I will no longer be practising as a chiropractor before the registration year ends. Can I transfer from practising to non-practising registration?

No, it is not possible to transfer from practising to non-practising registration except during the retention process. Alternatively, if you are not intending to practise in the UK, you may relinquish your registration voluntarily, by submitting an application for voluntary removal.