HPC appoints four Council members following its fourth Council election

03/07/2008

HPC Council election results

Following the recent elections, the Health Professions Council (HPC) is pleased to announce two new members to the Council and two re-elected members.

Stephen Wordsworth will again be the registrant member for Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs). Stephen was previously a HPC Council member between December 2004 – July 2005,   when ODPs first gained statutory regulation and joined the HPC register in 2004.  Following the by-election Jeff Seneviratne, will be the registrant member for Clinical Scientists. Both Stephen and Jeff will become HPC council members on the 8 July 2008.

Council member, Morag MacKellar, and HPC president, Anna van der Gaag were re-elected to the Council unopposed as registrant members for the Dietitians and the Speech and Language therapy professions. Both have been council members since 2002.

Chief Executive of the HPC, Marc Seale, commented;

“I am delighted at the election of Stephen Wordsworth and Jeff Seneviratne and the re-election of Anna van der Gaag and Morag MacKellar.

I’m looking forward to working with Stephen, Anna and Morag again and warmly welcome Jeff to the Council. All will bring a wealth of experience to the Council.”

Stephen Wordsworth is currently the Head of Department for Academic and Clinical Governance within the Faculty of Health at Birmingham City University. Stephen has over twenty years experience in both practice and education. He has worked as an ODP Programme Leader and Principal Lecturer and has gained extensive experience of healthcare education in a number of Universities. Stephen has also been a HPC visitor partner since 2005.

Jeff Seneviratne currently works as a Consultant Clinical Scientist in Clinical Biochemistry in Stockport NHS Foundation and will retire at the end of August. He will continue part-time, as a Clinical Lead for the Greater Manchester Pathology Network for which he also chairs the Biochemistry Network Advisory Group and IM&T Group. Jeff has been National Meetings Secretary of the Association for Clinical Biochemistry and was Secretary of the Association of Clinical Scientists.

Anna van der Gaag is a self employed consultant and Honorary Research Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow. She has been actively involved in research and development initiatives in speech and language therapy for more than two decades.

Morag MacKellar is Head of Nutrition and Dietetics, Forth Valley Primary Care and Public Health Nutritionist for NHS Forth Valley. She is also a member of Stirling Community Health Partnership Committee, and Chair of the national multi-agency steering group Scottish Nutrition and Diet Resource Initiative.

Marc Seale added:

“Council members play a vital role in the strategic direction of the HPC and therefore fulfilling our primary function of protecting the public. It is a rewarding and fulfilling position to hold that has great impact.”

The Council is responsible for developing strategies and policies. It consists of 26 members: one member from each of the professions, (plus 13 alternate members), 13 lay members, and a president. The current president is an HPC registrant.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

1. The Department of Health has consulted on proposals to create a smaller council that is appointed rather than elected.  The timetable is summer 2009 therefore council members are unlikely to hold office for the usual term of four years. Elected members will be eligible to seek appointment to the restructured Council.

2. For further information about the elections and the Council please contact Niamh O’Sullivan, Secretary to the Council, on 020 7840 9711 or email Niamh.osullivan@hpc-uk.org

3. If you wish to receive a picture of the new Council members please contact Ebony Gayle, Communications Manager on 020 7840 9784 or email ebony.gayle@hpc-uk.org

4. For further information about the Council and for Council member full biographies please see: http://www.hpc-uk.org/aboutus/council/

5. The Health Professions Council is an independent, UK-wide health regulator set up by the Health Professions Order (2001).  The HPC keeps a register for thirteen different health professions and only  registers people who meet the standards it sets for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health. The HPC will take action against people who do not meet these standards or who use a protected title illegally.

6. HPC currently regulates the following thirteen professions. Each of these professions has one or more ‘protected titles’. Anyone who uses one of these titles must register with the HPC. To see the full list of protected titles please see:

www.hpc-uk.org/aboutregistration/protectedtitles/

·         Arts therapists

·         Biomedical scientists

·         Chiropodists and podiatrists

·         Clinical scientists

·         Dietitians

·         Occupational therapists

·         Operating department practitioners

·         Orthoptists

·         Paramedics

·         Physiotherapists

·         Prosthetists and orthotists

·         Radiographers

·         Speech and language therapists

Ebony Gayle
020 7840 9784