Dietitians, join your professional community today
Are you a dietitian who is currently, previously or eligible for registration with the HCPC? If so, there’s never been a better time to become a part of your professional body and trade union.
Our membership community includes over 80% of all HCPC registered dietitians, hundreds of support staff and over 1,200 dietetic students. If you are keen to share your enthusiasm, knowledge and experience and help to promote dietitians and the dietetic profession, then joining the BDA community as a Full Member is a great place to start.
Eligibility
We invite you to join over 8,800 other registered dietitians in becoming a BDA full member by meeting the following criteria:
- you need to be, or have been, eligible for registration as a dietitian in the UK, and
- be either currently registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC), previously registered, or can demonstrate that you are eligible through education and training in the UK.
Annual Cost
BDA Full Membership is excellent value for money, worth over £2,000 but costing just £27.76 a month, which includes vital Professional Indemnity Insurance cover, Trade Union advice and support, and all of these benefits, resources and services. See annual BDA full membership cost.
Ensuring you are covered to practice
As a registered dietitian, it is essential you are covered with Professional Indemnity Insurance. Since 2014 this insurance became a mandatory requirement of the HCPC. If you practise without cover, you will be breaking the law.
Your employer may well cover you, but it is important to highlight that they will not support you if they are the ones bringing the action against you. If, for example they deem you to have breached your contract with them, through negligence, or practicing outside your scope or job description, your employer can sue you for damages in the same way you can sue them.
Your BDA membership provides protection from the dangers of action being instigated by the employer against the practitioner as BDA membership includes professional indemnity insurance alongside robust industrial relations support through the Trade Union. This ensures completely independent and personalised support and cover.
Have your circumstances changed?
To support our members as best we can throughout the different stages of your varied dietetic careers, we've developed heavily subsidised membership options for existing Full and Associate Members (only) to transfer onto should your circumstances change:
- Non Practising Category - taking a break from work
- Parental Leave Category - whilst on maternity, parental or adoption leave
- Retired Category - retiring from the profession
Are you a sports dietitian?
If you are an existing BDA Full Member, and you wish to join the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register to support your sports role, please first complete this registration process.