Supporting our registrants: A message from John Barwick

This year is no different. Looking back on the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am struck by the incredible collective efforts from the country’s health and care professionals, including those in the 15 professions we regulate.

From involvement in the vaccine rollout, to supporting people dealing with the impact of long COVID, and those on the front line of emergency care; every one of our registrants has contributed to the fight against COVID-19, and you should be all immensely proud of your tireless dedication to protecting the public.

As this challenging year comes to an end, it is clear the pandemic is far from over.  We are acutely aware of the immense pressure health and care professionals, families, patients and service users are facing, as the new, highly virulent Omicron spreads rapidly. Our health and care services face another long and difficult winter.

Thanks to the work of health and care professionals, we are in a far better position than last year to fight the virus, with more than 25 million booster jabs already administered so far. A truly wonderful team effort.

Our focus, as ever, remains on protecting the public and supporting our registrants to be the best they can be. Winter is always a challenging period for health and care workers, and with rising COVID-19 cases, this year looks like it will be a particularly hard one. It is of utmost importance to look after yourself, as well as looking after patients and service users.  

Our COVID-19 hub provides a number of helpful resources to registrants, employers and students on maintaining standards through this challenging period, changes to practice, maintaining well-being and managing stress.

After such a tumultuous year, I and the whole team at HCPC hope that you are able to have an enjoyable and restful festive period with loved ones, and that you have a safe and peaceful start to 2022.