The Health Professions Council publishes feedback from consultation and the Council's key decisions

Citation

(2003), "The Health Professions Council publishes feedback from consultation and the Council's key decisions", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 33 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2003.01733cab.006

The Health Professions Council publishes feedback from consultation and the Council's key decisions

The Health Professions Council publishes feedback from consultation and the Council's key decisions

The Health Professions Council launched the feedback from its UK-wide public consultation, and the key decisions taken by the Council; these outline in detail the HPC's vision for the future regulation of health-care professionals in the UK. The HPC was officially launched in April 2003, and hopes to use these decisions as the basis for operating a transparent and open organisation, which always maintains the primary importance of protecting the public.

Jane Hutt, Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services, helped launch the two documents: a full analysis of the feedback from the consultation, and a detailed explanation of the Council's key decisions.

The consultation finished on 30 September, after three months during which the HPC distributed 150,000 documents, received 7,689 responses, and held 38 public meetings which were attended by 4,000 people.

Based on this feedback the Council has taken the following decisions.

The register and protection of title

The Council believes that the more titles it attempts to protect, the less clear the public will be about who is on the register and who is not; this is also supported by the market research that formed part of the consultation.

The protected titles that will be submitted to the Privy Council for approval are: Art Psychotherapist, Art Therapist, Music Therapist, Dramatherapist, Biomedical Scientist, Chiropodist, Podiatrist, Clinical Scientist, Dietician, Dietitian, Occupational Therapist, Orthoptist, Orthotist, Prosthetist, Paramedic, Physical Therapist, Physiotherapist, Radiographer, Diagnostic Radiographer, Therapeutic Radiographer, Speech and Language Therapist, Speech Therapist.

Fees

The Council is asking the Privy Council to approve a fee that is consistent with its expanded obligations and rising cost pressures. Having listened to the concerns of registrants, the Council will ask the Privy Council to set the fee at £60, below the bottom end of the original proposed range of £65 to £85. In order to keep costs down, registration will take place biennially, and there will be the option of paying by direct debit at £30 every six months.

Additionally, in response to suggestions, the Council will ask the Privy Council to reduce the fee for newly qualified applicants by 50 per cent for the first two years of their registration.

The HPC has taken advice from the Tax Office and can confirm that its fees are tax-deductible.

Post-registration education and training

After receiving positive feedback, the Council has decided that it will link continuing professional development to registration in three years. It will also hold a consultation on CPD in two years, in order to gather as much information as possible about how this might be implemented.

It has further committed to taking account of the work of other groups in this area, and considering the needs of part-time and self-employed registrants.

Transitional arrangements (grandparenting)

The Council must use minimum standards of proficiency to assess applications. If applicants meet the "three out of five years" rule (where they have practised safely, lawfully and effectively for at least three out of five years prior to the opening of the register), then either they will be registered, or their competence will be tested prior to registration.

Applicants who do not meet these criteria can still be considered for registration, and also may be required to undertake additional training/experience.

Norma Brook, President of the HPC, said, "We were delighted with the scale of the response to our consultation, which is testimony to the importance that the new regulatory regime will have for registrants and the public.

"I believe the key decisions of the Council show we have taken account of people's opinions whilst remaining within our legal framework and being constantly mindful of our primary duty, which is to protect the public."

The full feedback document, and the full key decisions document are available on the HPC Web site: www.hpc-uk.org, and on request from the HPC Offices.

Contact: Rachel Tripp, PR/Events Assistant; Tel: 0207 8409760; e-mail rachel.tripp@hpc-uk.org