The HPC Receives Positive Performance Review From The Health Professions Watchdog, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 03 Sep 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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The Health Professions Council (HPC) has been commended in a report published by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) for being an effective and publicly accountable regulator.

The annual Performance Review undertaken for all of the nine UK regulators highlighted that the HPC is a well organised regulator that is clearly committed to constantly improving efficiency and performance.

The report praised the HPC for actively ensuring that the public and employers are aware of the importance of checking a professional's registration. It also emphasised the HPC's good practice in the development of a skills audit and appraisal of Council members as well as the quality of its management information and data collection.

Anna van der Gaag, President for the HPC, commented:

"We are pleased with the outcome of the annual Performance Review and particularly for being recognised as an efficient and robust regulator. We are committed to continuously improving our services to ensure the protection of the public."

As well as the positive feedback, the report has also highlighted three development areas for the HPC ahead of next years performance review. These relate to:

-- systems for the assessment, appraisal and reappointment of fitness to practise panel members;

-- updating the Register so that conditions of practise are attached to individual registrants' entries; and

-- processes for ensuring that patients' views are taken account of in assessments of educational providers.

Anna van der Gaag, added:

"The HPC will work towards implementing the reports recommendations"

1. The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) is an independent statutory body covering all of the United Kingdom. It is answerable to the Westminster parliament. It was established by parliament in 2003 to ensure consistency and good practice in healthcare regulation.

2. The CHRE governs the following nine UK regulatory bodies:

-- the General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates doctors -- the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which regulates nurses, -- midwives and specialist community public health nurses -- the Health Professions Council (HPC), which regulates 13 professions* -- the General Dental Council (GDC), which regulates dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists -- the General Optical Council (GOC), which regulates dispensing opticians and optometrists -- the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), which regulates chiropractors -- the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), which regulates osteopaths -- the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), which regulates pharmacists -- the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which regulates pharmacists.

3. The standards against which the regulators are assessed can be found on the CHRE's website, http://www.chre.org.uk.

4. The Health Professions Council is an independent, UK-wide health regulator set up by the Health Professions Order (2001). The HPC keeps a register for thirteen different health professions and only registers people who meet the standards it sets for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health. The HPC will take action against people who do not meet these standards or who use a protected title illegally.

5. HPC currently regulate the following thirteen professions. Each of these professions has one or more 'protected titles'. Anyone who uses one of these titles must register with the HPC. To see the full list of protected titles please see here.

-- Arts therapists
-- Biomedical scientists
-- Chiropodists and podiatrists
-- Clinical scientists
-- Dietitians
-- Occupational therapists
-- Operating department practitioners
-- Orthoptists
-- Paramedics
-- Physiotherapists
-- Prosthetists and orthotists
-- Radiographers
-- Speech and language therapists

http://www.hpc-uk.org