23 July 2026 (Thursday) - HCPC Update

The HCPC sent their update today. You can read it by clicking here. There’s no denying it was on the dull side. However I see they are asking for applications for the role of head honcho.

I have absolutely no intention of applying… and consequently I have no right to whinge that I think they are making a fundamental mistake by getting all bogged down in management-speak rather than focusing on what I feel should be their core business (i.e. acting in the best interests of the professions they represent). On reflection I suppose that they feel that they *are* acting in the best interests of the professions they represent. But their way of doing it is different to mine.

Mind you for all that I can’t really whinge when I have no intention of putting my money where my mouth is, I expect I will still whinge.

I wonder who would take on the role of head honcho? There’s plenty of people who love the entire “meetings thing”.

 

1 May 2026 (Friday) - HCPC Update

The HCPC sent out their newsletter today. You can read it by clicking here. As always I wish it was of more direct relevance to me…

I must admit I was interested by the updated guidance on fitness to practice. Dishonesty for example… is being a tad cheeky with evading paying for parking really a striking off offence? And the bit on sexually motivated misconduct… back in the day I used to joke with the younger trainees… these days I’m terrified to even say hello.

20 January 2026 (Tuesday) - HCPC Update

The HCPC sent its update today. You can see it by clicking here. I was rather interested to see mention of the upcoming CPD Week, but sadly (at the risk of appearing to be a cynical old reactionary) it is CPD week for the sort of people who sit in offices and come up with CPD Week. I was hoping to see talk about the latest developments in what I do on a daily basis…

I suppose that, as my son once told his teacher over thirty years ago, if you want a job done, do it yourself. Maybe I might volunteer to organise something for them rather than just sitting on my bum and finding fault

 

12 November 2025 (Wendesday) - HCPC Update

The HCPC sent their monthly update today. You can read it by clicking here.

It started off by trying to attract new people to its council. That can only be a good thing; it is so easy for such vital positions to become an “in-crowd”.

Three was also talk about the importance of retention – one in ten of all registrants (across all the HCPC’s professions) less last than four years before packing up.   

Sadly I can’t say I blame them… and sadly the HCPC doesn’t seem to have any suggestions to encourage people to stay.

17 September 2025 (Wednesday) - HCPC Update

The nice people at the HCPC sent their update today.  To be honest I didn’t think there was much of relevance to my daily round, but as it will be them assessing this CPD blog (if it ever gets assessed) one should bear in mind the thirty-third Rule of Acquisition.

“It never hurts to suck up to the boss”

10 July 2025 (Thursday) - HCPC Newsletter

The HCPC sent their newsletter today… It was all very “corporate”. It invited my opinion on the future direction of the HCPC.

I gave it. How on Earth does someone’s rantings on social media in any way affect their ability to do their job?

I might just get struck off…

1 May 2025 (Thursday) - HCPC Update

The HCPC sent their update today. You can read it by clicking here. Like the UKAS update it’s rather dry and at first sight maybe not that relevant to my daily round. But it pays to keep abreast of things…

For example they are changing how they are taking the direct debit payments…

26 February 2025 (Wednesday) - HCPC Update

The HCPC sent their update today. You can read it by clicking here. It would seem that next week is CPD week and there’s all sorts of suggestions and ideas about how best one might perform and record CPD.
Personally I find it quite simple;

• Sign up for every mailing list and Facebook group that is remotely relevant and material floods in.
• Keep an eye out for interesting cases at work.
• Watch what seems to be interesting to the bosses – what I so often dismiss as “management nonsense” is actually the future of the profession, and a bit of reflection there means I don’t miss that which I might otherwise flippantly ignore.
• Make a little note of everything you see and hear. A sub-folder in your work email in-box works for me.

Once a week go through your week’s worth of what you’ve accrued. When you have a look you’ll decide to ding out most of it, but there will be one or two snippets of note.
Now – here-s the crucial bit. WRITE THEM UP PROPERLY so you’ve got a record. You can do that on paper, in a notebook, however you like. Me – I like to record it all here as the nice people at Google give me this webspace for free. But however you do CPD, actually do it AND record it… It’s a legal obligation
 
#CPDWeek2025  (I really dislike hashtags!!)

18 December 2024 (Wednesday) - HCPC Newsletter

The HCPC sent their quarterly newsletter today. It started will with information about next year’s CPD week, but then for me it all went rather downhill with a whole load of stuff which wasn’t really of any interest to me.

Am I being unreasonable in expecting detailed information and updates on the specific areas in I work when the HCPC has such a diverse group with whom it works?

Probably.

8 August 2024 (Thursday) - HCPC Newsletter

The HCPC sent their update today. You can read it by clicking here.

As always I read it by clicking there, and as always I wonder just how my practice was improved by doing so. The trouble with the HCPC is that it covers such a wide range of professions that anything it comes up with can only be of peripheral interest to what we do.

Mind you its relevance to my daily round is probably on a par with that of the IBMS…

10 April 2024 (Wednesday) - HCPC Newsletter

The HCPC sent their newsletter today. You can read it by clicking here. I mention it because as my professional regulator I feel I should be reading it.

Mind you there is a rather interesting bit about revisions to the standards of conduct, performance and ethics and accompanying social media guidance. This is something which we actually need. 

It wasn't that long ago that ago those who didn’t understand social media unilaterally announced that just mentioning that you were a bit tired at 6am on a night shift was a disciplinary offence. I’ve still got the written warning somewhere…

13 December 2023 (Thursday) - HCPC Update

The HCPC sent their update today. You can read it by clicking here. I read it as I rather feel obliged to do so, and in all honesty didn’t find anything I felt was relevant to me… but this left me rather thoughtful. Bearing in mind it is a professionally produced document, either the person being paid to produce it is the wrong person, or I’m missing the point entirely.

I wonder which it is. I suspect the latter.

19 October 2023 (Thursday) - HCPC Newsletter

The nice people at the HCPC sent their update today. You can read it by clicking here.

I’m reminded of my rant about the UKAS yesterday. Like them, the HCPC is trying to have one set of standards which are applicable to a very disparate group of professions and are translated into practical applications in all sorts of workplaces by all sorts of assessors.

 

What the HCPC present is far more practical than that which the UKAS have come up with… but still it is aimed at professions who deal with real-live patients which (for the most part) we don’t.

 

8 June 2023 (THursday) - HCPC Newsletter

 

The HCPC newsletter arrived in my on-box this morning. It seemed to be concentrating on proposed changes to its standards of conduct, performance and ethics.

Back in the day that would have been something about which I would have had things to say…

These days I just keep quiet and accept that which I couldn’t be bothered to make any effort to change… Is this wrong of me?

28 March 2023 (Tuesday) - HCPC Newsletter

 

The HCPC sent their newsletter today. there was quite a bit of talk about the revised standards of proficiency for biomedical scientists…

I’ve had a good look at them… there’s been a few subtle changes to the wording but… will this make a lot of difference to me?