The HCPC takes a proportionate approach to investigating concerns about a registrant’s physical or mental health
We sometimes receive information that indicates that a registrant may have an untreated, unacknowledged or unmanaged physical or mental health condition that presents an actual or potential risk to the safety of the public, themselves or the wider public confidence in the profession.
In these cases it is likely we will need to carry out an initial investigation in order to understand the nature and extent of the registrant’s health condition, and whether it may affect their ability to practise safely and effectively.
We will not normally need to take action in relation to your practice on health grounds unless there is a risk to public safety, to public confidence in the profession or to yourself. Where we do need to intervene, we will take care to balance our duty to protect the public with your rights.
Our standards make clear that you have a professional duty to make changes to your practice, or cease practising, where your physical or mental health may affect your performance, judgement or place others at risk.
What information do we need about your health?
In the first instance, we will try to obtain readily available information about your health condition, such as from your GP, hospital consultant or other medical or healthcare professional. In exceptional circumstances we may ask you to undergo a medical assessment with a suitable medical assessor. This is likely to be in cases where the nature of any health condition you might have is unclear or there is no other available source of information.
We will always seek your consent before contacting a medical or other healthcare practitioner about your health, or asking you to undergo a medical assessment. We will give you a clear explanation of how any health-related information will be used by us. In particular, how any such information might be put forward to a panel who may consider an allegation about your health.
You do not have to provide us with information about your health if you do not wish to, or give your consent for us to contact your medical practitioner or undergo a medical assessment. However, whilst you are not obliged to provide such information, doing do will help us make an accurate assessment of the matter against our threshold criteria, and reach an outcome more efficiently.