Health and Care Professions Council
The Health and Care Professions Council is a statutory regulator of over 280,000 professionals from 15 health and care professions in the United Kingdom. The Council reports its main purpose is to protect the public. It does this by setting and maintaining standards of proficiency and conduct for the professions it regulates. Its key functions include approving education and training programmes which health and care professionals must complete before they can register with the HCPC; and maintaining and publishing a Register of health and care providers who meet pre-determined professional requirements and standards of practice.
History
The Health Professions Council was set up in 2003 under the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002, to replace the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine.By 2005, thirteen protected titles were regulated by the HPC: arts therapists; biomedical scientists; chiropodists/podiatrists; clinical scientists; dieticians; occupational therapists; operating department practitioners; orthoptists; paramedics; physiotherapists; prothetists and orthotists; radiographers; and speech and language therapists.
On 1 August 2012, the organisation took over the regulation of social workers in England from the General Social Care Council. The HPC was renamed the Health and Care Professions Council, reflecting its new responsibilities. These changes were made by the UK Government as part of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The strap line that they use was also changed to "Regulating health, psychological and social work professionals" which was considered better suited to describe the diversity of professionals that they regulate. The HCPC has also reported it was being accorded new powers to set up voluntary registers for unregulated professions or related professions, including students seeking to enter a regulated or unregulated profession or related occupation.
The work of the HCPC and other health professions regulators in the UK is overseen by the Professional Standards Authority.
On 2 December 2019, the regulation of social workers in England was transferred to a new body, Social Work England.
Professions regulated by the HCPC
The HCPC regulates 15 categories of health and care professionals. They are:| Category | Protected Titles | Number of registrants | Professional bodies |
| Arts therapists | Art Psychotherapist Art Therapist Dramatherapist Music Therapist | 4,725 | British Association of Art Therapists British Association of Dramatherapists British Association for Music Therapy |
| Biomedical scientists | Biomedical Scientist | 23,785 | Institute of Biomedical Science |
| Chiropodists/podiatrists | Chiropodist Podiatrist | 13,106 | The Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists The British Chiropody and Podiatry Association The Institute of Chiropodists and Podiatrists The Alliance of Private Sector Chiropody and Podiatry Practitioners |
| Clinical Scientists | Clinical Scientist | 6,917 | Association of Clinical Scientists |
| Dietitians | Dietitian | 10,136 | British Dietetic Association |
| Hearing aid dispensers | Hearing aid dispenser | 3,263 | British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists |
| Occupational therapists | Occupational Therapist | 39,495 | Royal College of Occupational Therapists |
| Operating department practitioners | Operating Department Practitioner | 14,351 | College of Operating Department Practitioners Association for Perioperative Practice |
| Orthoptists | Orthoptist | 1,485 | British & Irish Orthoptic Society |
| Paramedics | Paramedic | 28,617 | College of Paramedics |
| Physiotherapists | Physical Therapist Physiotherapist | 57,796 | Chartered Society of Physiotherapy |
| Practitioner psychologists | Clinical psychologist Counselling psychologist Educational psychologist Forensic psychologist Health psychologist Occupational psychologist Practitioner psychologist Registered psychologist Sport and exercise psychologist | 24,478 | British Psychological Society Association of Educational Psychologists |
| Prosthetists and orthotists | Orthotist Prosthetist | 1,077 | British Association of Prosthetists & Orthotists |
| Radiographers | Diagnostic Radiographer Radiographer Therapeutic Radiographer | 36,234 | The Society & College of Radiographers |
| Speech and language therapists | Speech and Language Therapist Speech Therapist | 16,384 | Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists |
All these professions have at least one designated title that is protected by law, including those shown above. Anyone using these titles must be registered with the HCPC. It is a criminal offence for someone to claim that they are registered with the HCPC when they are not, or to use a protected title that they are not entitled to use.