The Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC) has set out its position for regulating in the next phase of COVID-19 including fitness to practise. 

During the Covid19 emergency, the HCPC created and maintained a temporary register(s) of former registrants and final year students to support the workforce effort and continued to receive and investigate fitness to practise concerns amongst other things. 

Now however, as we emerge from the immediate emergency, the HCPC has set out its approach to regulation in the next phase the Covid19 response. 

HCPC Fitness to practise

The HCPC confirmed that it will resume the listing of postponed and new hearings saying: “Substantive hearings will be held virtually from July 2020 and we are currently planning how we can hold hybrid hearings, providing for some participants to attend in person, from September 2020 when a virtual hearing is not feasible or appropriate.”

Registrations & Renewals

• Student temporary registration will end on 30 September 2020 and close the temporary register for former registrants once the UK has passed through its emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic and any risk of a second peak has dissipated.
• HCPC renewals will continue with planned renewal timelines and the window for Operating department practitioners renewals will open on 1 September 2020 and close on 30 November 2020

Other measures

• Continuing professional development (CPD): resuming our CPD audit process from September 2020.
• Standard of proficiency: HCPC is currently consulting on proposed changes to the Standards of proficiency for all professions on the Register.

HCPC enquiries

We have seen an increase in the number of HCPC fitness to practise enquires over the last month.  This is an indication that the HCPC’s fitness to practise work is in fact picking up again in line with its statement above.

Please contact us if you have HCPC fitness to practise issues with your registration.