6 December 2014 (Saturday) - HCPC in Focus Magazine

The latest missive from the HCPC is now on-line at http://www.hcpc-uk.org/assets/documents/100049D3HCPCInFocus-Issue56.pdf

The headline gave me pause for thought “Registration renewal figures for operating department practitioners and social workers in England at an all-time high”. Clearly I’m missing something here. Those that don’t renew cannot continue practice. Either they’ve obtained alternate employment or retired. Either way is no big deal, so why is this headline news?

I found it very difficult to read the Fitness to Practice annual report with any degree of impartiality. Between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014 2 069 new concerns were raised, an increase of twenty five per cent on the previous year. 0.64% of registrants found themselves to be on the receiving end of a complaint. That’s about one in two hundred; I find that a really high number.

Of personal interest I read that revised standards of proficiency for biomedical scientists and clinical scientists have been published.

There was a report of a meeting between HCPC staff and medical managers in Belfast that took place recently. Again I found myself too close to the subject matter; wondering exactly what was discussed when I read that “Participants at the event took part in discussions using real life FTP case studies”. I see that I can go to one of these meetings if I want to by registering at www.hcpc-uk.org/meethcpc - I’m tempted to sign up.