DBS Check Medical Practitioner | Medical Practitioner DBS Check | DBS & CRB Check for Medical Practitioners

Are you planning to work as a medical practitioner in the UK? If you are, did you know you will need to take a statutory criminal record check called a DBS check.

DBS checks are administered by the Disclosure and Barring Service, unless you are in Scotland where they are managed by Disclosure Scotland.

DBS checks for medical practitioners in the UK

DBS checks are carried out under the terms of the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act which sets out the need for DBS checks for all frontline roles and the type of CRB check which must be undertaken.

A DBS check for a medical practitioner in the UK is an enhanced DBS check with barred lists. This type of DBS check is a robust safeguarding measure to keep the public, particularly children and vulnerable adults, safe.

From doctors to physicians and surgeons, medical practitioners are regulated healthcare professionals working in important positions of trust with the general public, as such their roles are carefully monitored.

There are four types of DBS checks in operation in the UK. As regulated healthcare professional you will be subject to the deepest check. A DBS check for a medical practitioner will verify whether you have any unspent or spent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings.

The Disclosure and Barring Service will also check if there is any further non-conviction information in existence with relevant police forces or entries on the children’s and vulnerable adults barred lists.

What is a DBS certificate?

Once the search is over, the DBS will send you your DBS certificate. The DBS certificate will list any records found. If there were no records found, the fields for each search listed on the certificate will be blank.

You will receive a copy of the certificate through the post as well as a copy online. You will need to show the DBS certificate to your employer and when registering with medical bodies such as the General Medical Council (GMC).

To find out more about your legal rights under the 1974 act as a regulated medical professional visit: hub.unlock.org.uk/rehabilitationofoffendersact