The health care professions council is a UK government regulatory body set up to protect the public by ensuring that registered practitioners meet a set of approved minimum standards for their profession. This is achieved through audits and strict accountability.
To replace the previous council for professions supplementary to medicine, the UK government set up the health professions council. On the 1st August 2012 changed the title to the health care professions council to incorporate social workers.
The council is run on a committee basis and consists 20 members and 10 lay members who meet to monitor and consult on strategies and policies. As well as audits there are channels for member of the public to find registered practitioners and raise their concerns about conduct. There is now a new health care professions council app, which will soon be available for download from the apple store for IPhone, there is no word if this will be available for the Android platform.
Which practitioners do the health care professions council regulate?
The professions are, chiropodists/podiatrists, arts therapists, biomedical scientists, clinical scientists, dietitians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists /orthotists , radiographers, social workers in England and speech and language therapists.
It is a criminal offence for anybody to use one of these titles without being registered with the HCPC.
This increased level of government monitoring has caused a lot of debate within the associated professions not least podiatrists, as it has now given rise to a new group within podiatry, foot heath practitioners or FHP’s as they are otherwise known.
So what do you think, is the health care professions council a good idea? does it really protect the public? are you aware if the practitioner you are visiting is registered? Let us know what you think below.