News release HPC

Citation

(2007), "News release HPC", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 37 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2007.01737bab.019

News release HPC

New member to the Council

The Health Professions Council (HPC) is pleased to announce a new member to the Council. Peter Douglas will replace Ros Levenson (who resigned from the Council in July 2006) as a Lay member of Council. Peter took his place at the first official Council meeting on 14 December 2006, following his appointment as a member of the Council on 1 November.

Peter Douglas is the former national managing partner of HLB Kidsons, Chartered Accountants, and was for ten years a Council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has been Director of Professional Standards at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, a governor of two independent schools and a higher education college. He is a member of the steering board of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, a DTI agency, chairman of its audit committee and a member of the audit committee of Ashridge Business School.

Peter Douglas said "I am delighted to be joining the Health Professions Council. I look forward to working along side other Council members and the Executive and being part of the development of HPC's policies and strategies".

Anna van der Gaag, The President of the Council, said "The input of our lay Council members is vital to the Council's success. I would like to welcome Peter to the Council and look forward to working with him in the near future".

The Council is responsible for developing strategies and policies. It consists of 26 members: one Council member from each of the professions, 12 lay members and a president.

Peter Douglas' term of office is effective from 1 November 2006 to 31 October 2010.

HPC responds to Government plans for UK healthcare regulation

HPC Chief Executive, Marc Seale said "We welcome the opportunity to respond to the Department of Health's review and agree with many of the recommendations, particularly those around the regulation of new groups, the appointment of Council members and the emphasis the report has placed on the role of regulation in protecting the public".

"We see many of the proposals in the report as an endorsement of our current practices, particularly the areas of lay representation, accountability to Parliament, our approach to witness protection and the adoption of civil standards of proof".

The HPC's response to the consultation is wide ranging, but emphasises the need to further test the case for revalidation, particularly the potential cost to health professionals whether it could offer additional public protection, and the need for healthcare regulation to take account of the significant number of health professionals working outside the NHS. In addition, the HPC is recommending that statutory regulation would be useful for other groups of healthcare support workers, including for example emergency medical technicians and assistant practitioners.

The HPC's response further highlights that health professionals are increasingly working in multi-disciplinary teams and emphasises the importance of consistent, targeted, UK-wide, risk based and proportionate healthcare regulation. An approach which the HPC believes would be welcomed by employers, members of the public and professionals themselves.

Marc Seale continued "We believe we are leading the way in delivering an effective model of healthcare regulation and will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and other stakeholders to ensure that our role in protecting the public continues to be strengthened and recognised".

HPC launches fees consultation

The HPC has launched a three month consultation to ask registrants and stakeholders for their views on the level of increase in fees.

The HPC's existing fees have remained unchanged over the last three years despite a steady increase in the costs of regulation and inflation. This consultation sets out why the HPC is proposing an increase and how the money will be spent. In particular, the increase will enable the HPC to manage the growing number of fitness to practise allegations which have more than doubled since its inception. It will also be used to help maintain the register, develop the levels of engagement with registrants and the public and to maintain the high standards of approvals visits carried out by the education department.

Anna van der Gaag, HPC President said "It is vital that the HPC has an appropriate and realistic level of income to enable us to operate effectively, give registrants an efficient service and to protect the public".

"We are looking forward to listening to registrant and stakeholder views on our proposals. Anyone who wishes to take part in the consultation and have their views heard, can write to us with their comments by post or e-mail. We look forward to hearing a variety of views and ideas over the coming months".

In the consultation, the HPC have put forward two options for renewal fees and for the fees charged to applicants who have successfully completed an approved course and are applying to be registered for the first time. It also proposes that the scrutiny fees charged for processing applications via the international, EEA and grandparenting routes should increase. The HPC also propose to introduce higher fees for people who are applying to come back on to the register.

The Council is consulting with a variety of stakeholders, including professional bodies, employers, higher education institutions and others with an interest in the HPC's work.

The consultation runs until Tuesday 6 February 2007. If the proposals are adopted the changes to the fees will be effective from June 2007. Existing registrants would pay the new renewal fee when their profession next renews its registration.

For further information about the consultation, please contact Rachel Tripp on 020 7840 9760 or e-mail: rachel.tripp@hpc-uk.org