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The early professions such as medicine and law arose as learned activities in the late Middle Ages and formal professions developed to allow a monopoly over a domain of practise (Adler et al. 2008). Generally speaking, professions are knowledge and/or skill‐based; entry is certified, e.g. by examination, and professional competencies must be maintained. This monopoly gives a right to charge for service and prohibits ‘lay’ persons from practising. With professional status comes an identity that develops before and after training, and a professional community to which we belong. Historically, professional membership has come with a high degree of trust and, generally, professions have been self‐regulating (this has, arguably, diluted as trust in the professions has diminished) and set their own standards of practise.

Morrell (2016) citing Lord Benson in a House of Lords debate in 1992, offers a list of the distinguishing characteristics of a profession:

 Ensures fair and open competition, directs the behaviour of its members, sets adequate standards of entry‐level education and continuing competence

 Sets ethical rules and professional standards that are higher than those established by the general law and are designed for the benefit of the public and not for private advantage.

 Has a membership that is independent in thought and outlook but subordinates its private interests in favour of support for the governing body and observes its rules and standards.

 Has disciplinary standards if its rules are not observed, or in the event of bad work.

 Provides leadership.

 At an institutional level, has an obligation to develop and disseminate a genuine body of knowledge and, at individual level, has the requirement to exercise judgement.