Health Professions Council launches consultation on health, disability and registration

14/09/2005

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has launched a consultation on health, disability and registration.

Update: Due to the extent of the interest in this consultation, the closing date has been extended until 9th December.

After receiving queries about this topic, the HPC set up a group to consider these issues. This group included representatives from the professional bodies, from the education sector, and from disability groups / organisations which included the Disability Rights Commission, and Skill: The National Bureau for Students with Disabilities. This group drafted two documents, both of which are now the subject of a consultation.

‘A disabled person’s guide to becoming a health professional’ is for disabled people who want to become health professionals, and also for staff working in admissions on approved courses. It has information for disabled applicants to approved courses about how they can become a health professional. It also has information for admissions staff on how they can ensure they meet their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, while still meeting their responsibilities to the Health Professions Council as an approved programme.

'Information about the health reference' gives information about the HPC health reference, for applicants and for doctors who are asked to complete the reference for a patient.

Rachel Tripp, Policy Manager at the Health Professions Council said, “I would like to thank all the members of the Professional Liaison Group who contributed to this important piece of work. We were very fortunate to benefit from so much expertise, across a range of areas. But we know that health and disability can be emotive subjects, so now we would like to get other people’s opinions on the work we’ve done: are the documents useful? Have we missed anything out? I’d like to encourage anyone with an interest in this area to send in a response, and help shape our work in this important area.”

The consultation will run until the 4th November 2005. Copies can be downloaded from the HPC website: www.hpc-uk.org/aboutus/consultations/

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

1. For further information about the consultation or to request a hard copy of the document, contact Rachel Tripp: 020 7840 9760 or email consultation@hpc-uk.org

2. The HPC would welcome your responses to this consultation, in whatever format is convenient for you.  If you would like to respond to this consultation, please send your response to:

Health, disability and registration consultation
Health Professions Council
Park House
184 Kennington Park Road
London, SE11 4BU

Email: consultation@hpc-uk.org
Phone: 0207 840 9760

3. If you would like a copy of this document in an alternative format, please contact us on info@hpc-uk.org or 0207 8409 806

Rachel Tripp
0207 8409 760