Health Professionals
HPC Health Professional Council
About the HPC
The HPC are a regulator, set up to protect the public. To do this, They keep a register of health professionals who must meet the HPC’s standards for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health.
The HPC currently regulate 15 health professions: arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists / podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists / orthotists, radiographers, and speech and language therapists.
All of these professions have at least one professional title that is protected by law, including those shown above. This means, for example, that anyone using the titles ‘physiotherapist’ or ‘dietitian’ must be registered with the HPC.
It is a criminal offence for someone to claim that they are registered with the HPC when they are not, or to use a protected title that they are not entitled to use. The HPC will prosecute people who commit these crimes.
The HPC develops and monitors strategy and policy and consists of 20 members (made up of 10 registrant and 10 lay members), including the Chair. In addition, the HPC runs committees which help the Council with its work.
If a health professional does not meet the required standards, the HPC can take action which might include stopping them from practising. This means that if you are unhappy with treatment you are given, or worried about the behaviour or health of a registrant, you can always raise your concerns with the HPC.
The HPC will operate by meeting the following aims:
- maintaining and publishing a public register of properly qualified members of the professions;
- approving and upholding high standards of education and training, and continuing good practice;
- investigating complaints and taking appropriate action;
- working in partnership with the public, and a range of other groups including professional bodies; and
- promoting awareness and understanding of the aims of the Council.
The HPC has a leaner organisational structure than its predecessor body, the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (CPSM) with greater representation from the public. It has faster and more transparent procedures and will be more accountable to the public and the health service.
The future procedures and processes of the HPC have been developed in full consultation with the public, healthcare professionals and other key stakeholders.
Guiding principles
Protecting the public
the Council will have wide powers to deal effectively with individuals who pose an unacceptable risk to patients. It will have clear and well-published complaints and appeals procedures for the public and registrants. It will treat the health and welfare of patients as paramount.
Transparency
there is public representation on the Council, which aims to operate a fast and transparent complaints procedure. The HPC will consult with key stakeholders and publish any standards and general guidance it develops.
Communication and responsiveness
the HPC will develop meaningful accountability to the public and the health service, and inform and educate the public and registrants about its work.
Providing a high quality service
the HPC will ensure that the needs of its customers are met, namely the public, patients, health professionals and the health service. It will seek and utilise regular feedback from its customers to enhance its services. It will support the training and development of HPC staff, as well as registrants.
Value for money
the HPC will provide a value for money service for registrants and the public. It will be open and proactive in accounting to all its customer groups regarding its work.
Working collaboratively
the HPC will enable best practice in any one profession to be accessed by all. It will deliver an efficient and unified service as well as focusing on individual issues which are significantly different between professions
Protected titles
The titles below are protected by law. Anyone using one of these titles must be registered with the Health Professions Council, or they may be subject to prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000.
This table shows the professions the HPC regulate and their corresponding protected titles
Profession Protected title(s):
- Arts therapist
- Art psychotherapist
- Art therapist
- Dramatherapist
- Music therapist
- Biomedical scientist
- Chiropodist / podiatrist
- Podiatrist
- Clinical scientist
- Dietician
- Hearing aid dispenser
- Occupational therapist
- Operating department practitioner
- Orthoptist
- Paramedic
- Physiotherapist
- Physical therapist
- Practitioner psychologist
- Registered psychologist
- Clinical psychologist
- Counselling psychologist
- Educational psychologist
- Forensic psychologist
- Health psychologist
- Occupational psychologist
- Sport and exercise psychologist
- Prosthetist
- Orthotist
- Radiographer
- Diagnostic radiographer
- Therapeutic radiographer
- Speech and language therapist
HPC Fitness to Practise
Raising a concern about a professional
Anyone can contact the HPC and raise a concern about a registered professional. This includes members of the public, employers, the police and other professionals.
The HPC will not normally take further action if information is provided anonymously (where the person providing the information does not give their name). This is because the HPC want to operate a fair and clear process and. However, their main function is to protect the public, this means that if information given anonymously relates to serious and credible concerns about a professional’s fitness to practise, they may consider taking further action.
There are no time limits and the HPC can consider cases where events may have taken place many years ago.
What is the purpose of the fitness to practise process?
The HPC’s fitness to practise process is designed to protect the public from those who are not fit to practise.
If a professional’s fitness to practise is ‘impaired’, it means that there are concerns about their ability to practise safely and effectively. This may mean that they should not practice at all. Or that they should be limited in what they are allowed to do. The HPC will take appropriate action to make this happen.
Sometimes professionals make mistakes that are unlikely to be repeated. This means that the person’s overall fitness to practise is unlikely to be ‘impaired’. People sometimes make mistakes or have a one-off instance of unprofessional conduct or behaviour. The HPC’s processes do not mean that they will pursue every isolated or minor mistake. However, if a professional is found to fall below their standards, they will take action.
If you are a professional within one of the disciplines on this pages, with a professional problem we can help. For more information or a free legal opinion telephone 020-7381-8111 (24 hour service) or email law@rhplaw.co.uk.
HPC Indicative Sanctions policy – click here to download
If you have a problem over an examination or qualification we can help – Consult the experts – Call us on 020 7381 8111 or email law@rhplaw.co.uk and see how we can help you defend your case concerning the General Medical Council laws.
