“An important step towards modernising and reforming professional regulation”
HCPC has today responded to Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation document, Regulating healthcare professionals, protecting the public.
Christine Elliott, Chair of HCPC, commented:
“We welcome the proposals in this consultation. They will enable us to build on the improvements already under way at HCPC, in core areas such as Fitness to Practise, continuing professional development and standards. They will enhance flexibility, accountability, transparency and consistency across the regulators.
This is an important step towards modernising and reforming professional regulation. There is no doubt that change is much needed if we, and the other regulators, are to keep abreast of rapid developments in the way healthcare is practised and delivered.
We will play our full part in ensuring the system of professional regulation is innovative, flexible and transparent, and it is vital that collectively we absorb and apply lessons learned during our response to COVID-19. Regulation in the future must operate at pace, be responsive to changing context, make full use of technology to draw intelligence from information, and play its part in equipping an adaptable, mobile workforce, all to better serve public protection and wellbeing.
We look forward to working with the Government, fellow regulators and others to refine and implement these changes, and to ensure professional regulation continues to provide the highest standard of public protection.”
HCPC agrees with and welcomes the majority of the proposals in the consultation, and is seeking clarification or modification of certain points, including in relation to detailed aspects of Fitness to Practise (FTP) and Registration.
These include areas such as publishing information relating to qualifications held by registrants, the use of interim measures and the rationale for introducing suspension for failure to pay the fee or to comply with the regulator’s renewal/CPD requirements.
We look forward to working with colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care to develop and refine the approach taken in these areas.