The purpose of the BIG Act is to ensure that the quality of our healthcare is and remains high. The BIG Act also protects patients against unskilled and careless actions by healthcare providers. The BIG Act does this, among other things, with the BIG register.

Healthcare professions in the BIG Act

The BIG Act divides professions that fall under this act into 3 groups according to their statutory article number: Article 3, 34 and Article 36a professions. Legally recognised specialisms fall under Article 14. Only Article 3 professions must be registered in the BIG register and fall under disciplinary law.

Protected professional title and training title

For all professions included in the BIG Act, there is a protected (professional) title. This means that someone may only call themselves a doctor, nurse, speech therapist or pharmacist's assistant, for example, if certain legal requirements are met. The BIG Act has two forms of title protection:

  • Protected professional title
    The professional title may only be used by a person who has completed the correct training and is registered in the BIG register. So only with a valid BIG registration as a doctor may someone call themselves a doctor.
     
  • Protected training title
    Only someone who has completed the appropriate training may use the title that belongs to the profession. For example, someone may only call themselves a pharmacist's assistant if they have followed and completed the correct training. 

Article 3 - Professions

  • have a protected professional title.
  • must register in the BIG register;
  • may perform the reserved acts pertaining to the profession;
  • are subject to disciplinary law.

Overview of Article 3 professions:

  • Pharmacist
  • Arts
  • Physiotherapist
  • Health care psychologist

  • Clinical technologist

  • General educational psychologist
  • Physician assistant
  • Psychotherapist
  • Dentist
  • Midwife
  • Nurse

Article 36a - Professions (experimental professions)

  • have a legally protected training title;
  • can temporarily register in the BIG register;
  • are subject to disciplinary law;
  • may perform reserved acts;
  • have temporary independent authority.

Overview of current Article 36a professions:

  • Registered Dental Hygienist

Article 34 - Professions

Article 34-Professions:

  • have a legally protected training title;
  • cannot register in the BIG register;
  • are not subject to disciplinary law.

Overview of Article 34 professions:

  • Pharmacy Assistant
  • Dietician
  • Occupational therapist
  • Skin therapist
  • Clinical physicist
  • Speech therapist
  • Dental hygienist
  • Exercise therapist
  • Optometrist
  • Orthoptist
  • Podiatrist
  • Radiodiagnostic laboratory technician
  • Radiotherapeutic laboratory technician
  • Dental Prosthetist
  • Caregiver in individual health care (VIG'er).

See also the Other professions page.

Article 14-Specialisms

These are the legally recognized specialties, such as nurse specialist and clinical psychologist. See also Specialisation.