Guidance for registrants on maternity, paternity and adoption leave

This page provides guidance for registrants on, or considering taking, maternity, paternity or adoption leave.

It includes information about what needs to be considered in relation to completing CET requirements, whether registrants might be able to take advantage of our low-income fee and whether they should remain on the register for their period of leave.

The guidance  

1. If you plan to take a period of maternity, paternity or adoption leave (‘leave’), you will need to consider how you can meet your CET requirements across the three-year CET cycle. We consider that the cycle allows registrants the flexibility to be able to plan their CET across the three years.

2. We will not expect you to undertake the six CET point annual expectation for any calendar year in which you are on leave. You will however need to consider how you will meet any outstanding requirements by the end of the CET cycle.

3. If you do not feel that it is possible to undertake CET during your leave, you should plan how you will meet your requirements during the remainder of the cycle. You may wish to consider whether it is possible for you to complete non-interactive CET while you are on leave or whether online interactive CET is available to you.

4. If you have concerns about how to meet your CET requirements during your leave or the remainder of the cycle, you should discuss these with your employer and/or professional body who may be able to offer advice.

5. We have a low-income fee that you may be able to take advantage of and can be used at any point during the year (not just at the point of renewal). Further information is available on our 'Low income application' page. 

6. You may also wish to consider whether you need to remain on the register for the period in question. If you wish to leave the register, it is open to you not to apply for renewal during your time out of practice, but if you decide to do so, you will need to be clear about what you need to do to restore to the register. This will include completing CET prior to restoring so you should be clear about the restoration requirements and ensuring that you will have the time to complete them before you apply to restore to the register. It may be simpler for you to remain on the register and complete your CET requirements across the remainder of the three-year cycle. Further information about our CET requirements for restoring to the register is available here. 

7. Registrants should also be aware that if they have not been able to meet their CET requirements by the end of the CET cycle, it is open to them to make an application under our ‘CET exceptions policy’. Further information can be found on the CET exceptions page.