Federation for Informatics Professionals (FEDIP)

Apply for Associate Practitioner if you are employed in a health and social care informatics role or are undertaking a digital apprenticeship and: 

• Exercise limited autonomy, working under supervision
• Carry out a range of routine activities  
• May contribute to routine issue resolution 

You need to hold BCS membership at any grade. 

Apply for Practitioner if you: 

• exercise autonomy subject to overall guidance and direction 
• perform a range of work, sometimes complex and non-routine 
• select and use relevant methods and procedures 
• demonstrate an analytical and systematic approach to issue resolution 

You will need to be a BCS member at MBCS grade or above. 

Do you hold an existing professional registration?

If you already hold RITTech registration, you're deemed to meet the P1-P9 professional competence requirements for FEDIP at Practitioner level. You will be required to provide evidence that you are currently employed within a Health and Social Care role and have been for a minimum of 12 months. 

Apply for Senior Practitioner if you:

• exercise autonomy without supervision within well-defined parameters and may have responsibility for the work of others 
• perform a range of work, often complex
• perform non-routine technical / professional activities
• identify, select and use appropriate standards, methods, tools and applications

You will need to be a BCS member at Professional MBCS or Fellowship FBCS grade.

Do you hold existing professional registration?
If you already hold Advanced RITTech or IEng registration, you're deemed to meet the P1-P9 professional competence requirements for FEDIP at Senior Practitioner level. You will be required to provide evidence that you are currently employed within a Health and Social Care role and have been for a minimum of 12 months.

Apply for Advanced Practitioner if you:

• exercise autonomy within broad parameters
• build appropriate and effective business relationships
• perform a range of complex technical / professional work
• apply fundamental principles in meeting work requirements
• advise on methods and tools relevant to your own specialism, making appropriate choices from alternatives

You will need to be a BCS member at Professional (MBCS) or Fellowship (FBCS) grade.

Do you hold existing professional registration?
If you are Chartered Member you're deemed to meet the P1-P9 professional competence requirements for FEDIP at Advanced Practitioner level. You will be required to provide evidence that you are currently employed within a Health and Social Care role and have been for a minimum of 12 months.

Have you successfully completed the NHS Digital Leadership Programme?
If you have completed the NHS Digital Leadership Programme you will not need to complete the experience statements within the application form. You will only be required to provide the application form (with appropriate box ticked), a copy of your certificate and career history or LinkedIn profile.

Apply for Leading Practitioner if you:

• exercise autonomy within broad parameters
• have authority over all aspects of a significant area of work
• formulate and implement policy and strategy
• address complex, non-routine organisational problems
• have a full range of strategic leadership and management skills
• understand the industry in depth and the wider business implications of emerging technologies

You will need to be a BCS Fellow to be applicable for this grade. Fellowship is used for immediate acceptance for Leading Practitioner, providing you can prove you're currently working in a senior role within Health and Social Care.

The Federation for Informatics Professionals (FEDIP) provides a professional register for people working in digital, data and technology roles in health and care.

Professional registration means that an individual:

• Has been assessed against agreed professional standards
• Commits to a code of conduct and ethical practice
• Undertakes and records continuing professional development (CPD)
• Appears on a publicly searchable register, giving employers confidence in their competence

This mirrors the way clinical, nursing, finance, human resources and other professions already operate in the NHS.

The aim is to:

• Professionalise the digital workforce in line with other NHS professions
• Provide parity of recognition with clinical and corporate roles
• Ensure people working in critical digital roles are fit to practise and keeping their competencies up to date
• Protect the public and patient safety, recognising the real‑world impact of digital systems, data quality and cyber security

Digital, data and technology are now mission‑critical to the NHS, and professional standards need to reflect that reality.  The expectation of registration is being set in phased manner from March 2027 starting at the leadership DDaT roles within NHS organisations.

The expectation applies to digital, data and technology professionals working in NHS organisations, starting with the most senior roles from March 2027.

Registration will then be:

• Phased down through bands and roles
• Introduced over several years, not overnight
• Supported by time, guidance and reduced‑cost offers

This is about building a profession, not creating sudden barriers.

The requirements do not currently apply to clinicians, nurses and AHPs who already hold statutory professional registrations (e.g. HCPC, GMC, etc), though this is being explored further.

The approach is deliberately staged:

• Year one: Senior digital leaders (e.g. CIOs, CDIOs, and equivalents)
• Subsequent years: Expectations extend gradually to other roles and bands
• Plenty of time is built in for:
• Conversations with staff
• Choosing the right professional body
• Completing registration based on existing experience

The offer for reduced membership and registration for those Band 7 and below is available immediately and people can choose to register at any point.  They don’t need to wait until the deadline.

There is no national mandate for employers to pay. Some organisations choose to cover the cost for their DDaT team, but if not it is paid by the individual.  You can find out more about organisational membership here.

The reduced rates are:

• Band 7 and below:
• Professional body, eg BCS, membership, £50 per year
• FEDIP registration, £36 per year

Discounts are ongoing, not limited to the first year.

At present, NHS England describes this as an “expectation”. However, the long‑term direction is towards professional registration becoming normal and it could eventually become a requirement of the profession, similar to accountants and clinicians.

You can choose whether your name appears on the public register or not, although most people choose to be on the register.

Professional body membership:

• You join an organisation such as BCS, AphA, CHIME or another FEDIP‑recognised body
• Focuses on community, networking, learning and support
• Provides access to:
• Specialist groups
• Mentoring
• Events and resources
• Does not require assessment of competence

Professional registration (via FEDIP):

• Involves formal assessment against standards
• Requires commitment to:
• CPD
• Code of conduct
• Ethical practice
• Places you on a public register
• Gives employers assurance that you are competent to practice

Membership is about belonging and development; registration is about assurance and standards.

Both work best together.

Professional registration offers:

• Recognition of your skills and experience
• Parity with other regulated NHS professions
• Protection for CPD time when budgets are tight
• Post‑nominals and digital badges to demonstrate status
• Clear mapping to a standard competency framework that is relevant across DDaT professions
• Clear career pathways aligned to national role profiles
• Greater confidence and credibility at board and system level

Many people also report that registration:

• Reduces imposter syndrome
• Increases confidence

Strengthens professional identity

Registration helps organisations to:

• Assure boards that senior digital leaders are competent and current
• Support safer use of data, systems and technology
• Make skills and capability more visible and portable
• Align recruitment, development and workforce planning
• Treat digital professionals as a strategic workforce, not just administrative or technical support

It also sets clearer expectations for suppliers and partners working with the NHS.

FEDIP levels range from Associate Practitioner to Leading Practitioner. Your level is based on skills and experience, not qualifications. Standard role profiles have been developed for the NHS, based on DDaT and the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA).  These are known as th FEDIP occupational architecture. They can help you identify the most appropriate level.

Affiliate Practitioner allows you to join the FEDIP register for up to one year without formal assessment, provided you:

• Work in a relevant role
• Commit to the code of conduct

You then complete the full assessment within that year.

Existing BCS registrations map directly to FEDIP levels:

• RITTech → Practitioner
• RITTech Advanced → Senior Practitioner
• Chartered IT Professional (CITP) or NHS Digital Academy graduate → Advanced Practitioner
• BCS Fellow → Leading Practitioner

In these cases, you don’t need to provide evidence of skills and experience, these have already been assessed through your registration or qualification.

Yes. Professional registration is open to anyone working in digital health and care, including:

• Local authorities
• Suppliers and partners
• Private and voluntary sector staff

Suppliers may increasingly be expected to meet these standards in NHS procurements.

You apply through your chosen professional body. The application is:

• Experience‑based, not exam‑based
• Requires three examples showing how you meet the FEDIP standards (STAR format)
• Verified by a supporter (e.g. line manager)
• Includes evidence of CPD undertaken and plans

Guidance and application forms for registration can be found on your 'MyBCS' membership portal, bi-monthly workshop webinars are held to support applicants. You can register here.

FEDIP requires around 10 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) per year.

CPD can include:

• Formal training or qualifications
• Conferences, events or webinars
• Reflective practice
• Writing articles or sharing learning
• Mentoring and peer discussions
• On‑the‑job learning and improvement work

CPD is about:

• Reflection
• A variety of developmental approaches
• Skills development
• Planning future learning - responding to skill and competence needs as they arise e.g. AI, not just attending courses
• Ensuring that within your team also achieve this minimal level of CPD annually.

No. For current NHS staff:

• Existing experience is recognised
• Registration is based on real‑world practice
• Exams, formal certifications or chartership are not required initially

Over time, as the profession matures, expectations for new entrants may evolve - similar to accountancy or other established professions, but this is long‑term, not immediate.  We recognise that within the DDaT professions family that supporting different expectations in this area may be more appropriate.

No. FEDIP works with multiple professional bodies, and people are encouraged to:

• Choose the body that best represents their role and identity
• Find communities that feel relevant and welcoming

If a specialism is not currently well represented:

• FEDIP is open to new bodies joining
• Communities of practice can be developed

The system is designed to be inclusive and expandable.  Please contact us if you feel that another professional body better represents your DDaT area.

The framework aims to:

• Value experience and competency, not just formal qualifications
• Support people at different career stages
• Provide confidence‑building through professional community
• Avoid unnecessary barriers or exclusion

Professional registration includes different levels, allowing people to progress over time.  DDaT professions, by their nature attract and provide rewarding carriers to a broad spectrum of neurodiverse and neuro-typical people.

The long‑term ambition is to:

• Establish digital, data and technology as a fully recognised NHS profession
• Support career pathways from entry‑level to senior leadership
• Improve skills portability across organisations and sectors
• Protect patient safety and public trust
• Ensure digital professionals are valued, developed and retained

This is described repeatedly as 'A journey of years, not minutes.'