HPC receives positive assurance from the health professions watchdog

08/07/2009 - 14:45

HPC gains positive review from CHRE

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement of services in the latest report from the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE).

The annual Performance Review highlighted that the HPC is a transparent well-organised, efficient and cost-effective regulator. The review commended the Council for its continued effectiveness at communicating with its stakeholders, stating that it has ‘continued to display excellence and has even sought to enhance its work in this area’.

Anna van der Gaag, Chair of the HPC, commented:

"I am pleased to see that the review highlighted a number of areas which demonstrated excellence or good practice, notably our communication with the public through targeted campaign work, our proactive engagement with employers and our work in the devolved healthcare systems. 

"Aspects of the Fitness to Practise function were also praised, specifically staff training, service standards, the regular updates provided to complainants and the free telephone number. Our continued commitment to service improvement throughout the organisation was also recognised."

HPC’s Chief Executive, Marc Seale, commented:

"We look forward to the publication of the CHRE’s annual report as we find it productive to have the benefit of an external review of our processes.  The CHRE has raised some interesting points in this year’s report and we looking forward to working with them over the coming year."

- Ends -

Notes to editors

1. 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 fourteen 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.
2. The HPC currently regulates the following 14 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: http://www.hpc-uk.org/aboutregistration/protectedtitles/
Arts therapists
Biomedical scientists
Chiropodists / podiatrists
Clinical scientists
Dietitians
Occupational therapists
Operating department practitioners
Orthoptists
Paramedics
Physiotherapists
Practitioner psychologists
Prosthetists / orthotists
Radiographers
Speech and language therapists
 
3. The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) is an independent statutory body covering all of the United Kingdom. It is answerable to the Westminster parliament.  It was established by parliament in 2003 to ensure consistency and good practice in healthcare regulation.
 
4. The CHRE governs the following nine UK regulatory bodies:

• General Medical Council (GMC)
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Health Professions Council (HPC)
• General Dental Council (GDC)
• General Optical Council (GOC)
• General Chiropractic Council (GCC)
• General Osteopathic Council (GOsC)
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB)
• Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
 
5. The standards against which the regulators are assessed can be found on the CHRE’s website, www.chre.org.uk

6. To download a copy of the report please http://www.chre.org.uk/media/18/142/

Amy Morgan
+44 (0)20 7840 9137