HPC approves CPD standards

19/07/2005

HPC approves Standards for CPD. The first audit will take place in 2008.

The Health Professions Council (HPC) yesterday approved the standards of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) that will become a legal requirement for the future registration of 162,000 health professionals across the UK.  At the same time HPC confirmed that the first audit of these standards will take place in August 2008. In addition, the Council will make information on how to record and submit evidence against these standards available by April 2006.

The audit date of August 2008 means that the first profession to be asked to submit evidence of CPD activity will be that of chiropody and podiatry followed by operating department practitioners a few months later.  For the 11 other professions currently on the HPC register, 2009 will be the first year they are audited.

The standards mean that health professionals will have to provide evidence of CPD relating to their previous two years of practice from the summer 2008.  The evidence will have to show that the CPD an individual has undertaken has contributed to the quality of their practice and demonstrates that it benefited the service user.  The standards apply not only to those in clinical practice, but also to those working in research, management or education.

Speaking about the approval of the CPD standards, Professor Norma Brook, President of the Health Professions Council said,

“By agreeing the standards and making them public now we wanted to give people an opportunity to familiarise themselves with them.  The Council will now set about producing more guidance on how to record and submit CPD evidence. 

“We are looking to have this guidance in place by April next year with the expectation that by the summer of next year everyone will be beginning to record evidence of how they are meeting the standards. Flexibility remains at the centre of our CPD decisions. The HPC will offer a clear framework but CPD will be the responsibility of the individual.”

To assist in the development of the guidance, HPC will set up a Professional Liaison Group (PLG), consisting of a range of specialists from across the professions who have experience of  developing CPD material and exemplars.  

5% of the professions that renew in 2008 will be audited in a random sample.  If this sample shows CPD activity is successfully taking place then future samples are likely to be reduced to 2.5% in 2009.

Further details of the CPD standards and the feedback received from the 2004 consultation are available on-line at www.hpc-uk.org

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

1. The Health Professions Council is a UK wide health regulator set up to protect the public. It sets standards for 13 health professions. The HPC only registers people who meet its standards for their professional skills, behaviour and health, and will take action against people who do not.

2. For further information about CPD please contact Karen Scott on 020 7840 9721 or email karen.scott@hpc-uk.org

3. HPC’s CPD Standards:
All registrants will be required to undertake CPD a as condition of their registration.
A registrant must:
1. maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities;
2. demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice;
3. seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service;
4. seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user; and
5. present a written portfolio containing evidence of their CPD upon request

Victoria Nash
020 7840 9784

	Related Links
	News