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national standards of
professional training, performance and conduct for over 160,000
specialists across 13 health professions. It has launched its consumer
protection campaign to highlight the importance of checking that your
specialist is qualified and permitted by law to practise.
Some key findings from HPC’s National Check-up study:
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Nearly half (48%) of under 25s have seen at least one health
professional, rising steadily to 73% of 55-and-overs.
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Over 30 million UK adults have been treated by at least one health
professional in their lifetime, and over half (52%) of these have seen
one in the last 12 months. HPC’s study reveals that the last time people
saw a health professional, 29% of them did so without referral from
their GP.
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Amongst the most visited specialists, 1 in 3 people (33%) have visited
a physiotherapist, 1 in 5 (20%) have seen a chiropodist or podiatrist
(35% went direct rather than via referral), and 9% have seen a
dietician.
HPC has launched a website,
www.HPCheck.org , where people can quickly
check whether a health professional is registered, and find out more
about what this means for them. To check HPC’s online register, people
simply type in the name or registration number of the person they intend
to see and their health profession, and the search will confirm their
registration details.
Who HPC regulates
HPC currently regulates the following thirteen professions. Each of
these professions has one or more ‘protected titles’ that must be
registered. Anyone who uses one of these titles must register with the
HPC.
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Arts therapists
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Biomedical scientists
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Chiropodists and podiatrists
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Clinical scientists
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Dieticians
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Occupational therapists
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Operating department practitioners
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Orthoptists
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Paramedics
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Physiotherapists
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Prosthetists and orthotists
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Radiographers
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Speech and language therapists
What does the HPC do?
The HPC keeps a register of over 160,000 health professionals who meet
its standards, and takes action if registered health professionals fall
below those standards. The HPC has the power to revoke professionals’
right to practice- effectively ‘strike them off’ the register. The HPC
was created by a piece of legislation called the Health Professions
Order 2001.
What does the register tell me?
Health professionals are legally required to register with the HPC.
Registration means that a health professional meets national standards
for their professional training, performance and conduct. It means that
people have proved that they meet the HPC’s standards and are therefore
allowed to be registered with them and use a legally protected
professional title such as 'chiropodist'.
There are clear standards laid out for each profession, which focus on
the Council’s expectations of registrants’ skills, knowledge and
understanding. These standards must be met by; new graduates;
internationally-trained applicants; and those who want to return to
practice.
What happens if you don't use a registered health professional?
If something should go wrong during your treatment, HPC will not be able
to take action against that person, and therefore HPC will be unable to
stop them treating other people.
Professional titles
Professional titles are protected by law. Anyone using a title such as
Chiropodist or Physiotherapist must be registered with the Health
Professions Council, or they may be subject to prosecution and a fine of
up to £5,000. If you use a health professional who is not registered,
you risk being treated by someone who is not up to national standards.
Why might a professional not be appearing when you know they are
registered?
This may be because they are registered under a slightly different name,
for example someone may be William Smith on the register but go by the
name Bill Smith in his practice. It may also be possible that they think
they are on the register, but for some reason their registration may
have lapsed. If in doubt, ‘phone or email HPC and they will check:
info@hpc-uk.org
or 0845 3004 472.
Where does the HPC come from?
The Health Professions Order is the piece of legislation which states
that registrants must be ‘of good health and character in order to
practise’. The order also created ways to deal with registrants whose
ability to practise safely is affected because of their health.
Structure
The HPC is run by an elected council made up of members of the
professionals they regulate, plus members of the public. All
professional members were elected by registrants and lay members were
elected by the Privy Council.
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