FAQs

FAQs

For the answers, please click on the question

• What do we do?

  We promote the health and well-being of patients and the public in the regulation of health professionals. We scrutinise and oversee the work of the nine regulatory bodies that set standards for training and conduct of health professionals.We share good practice and knowledge with the regulatory bodies, conduct research, and promote the concept of right-touch regulation. We advise the four UK government health departments on issues relating to the regulation of health professionals. We are an independent body accountable to the UK Parliament.

• What powers do you have?

  We have been granted a range of powers to support our statutory functions. You can find out about these powers and how they relate to our work here.

• How do you involve patients and other stakeholders in your work?

  We have a Public Stakeholder Network which is free, voluntary and virtual. You can join this network by registering your details. After you become a member, we keep you informed of new developments in our organisation and across the area of health professional regulation. We also work with professionals in a number of ways. We have a voluntary Professional Network which you can join in for regular updates on policy. We have recently introduced an International Observatory which will share good practice in regulation and hold associated discussions with professionals and academics worldwide.

• What is our future role? (as proposed in the Health and Social Care Bill 2011)

  Once the Bill receives Royal Assent, we will be called the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care.Our role in the statutory regulation of health professionals will continue but we will be funded through a levy on the professional regulators.In addition, our remit will be extended to include social work in England and we will accredit voluntary registers.We will assist the Privy Council in appointments that are made to the regulatory bodies’ Councils.

• How do you intend to accredit voluntary registers?

  Our extended role of accrediting voluntary registers will come into effect in April 2012.In the interim, we are scoping the methods that we will use and developing our criteria and standards for groups holding voluntary registers who wish to be accredited by us.We will be discussing options with interested groups and will consult more widely later in the year. If you wish to explore this area further, please click the Voluntary Registers link on the left hand menu bar.

• How will you manage oversight of social work in England?

  In the summer of 2010 the Government published a report ‘Liberating the NHS: Report of the arms-length bodies review’ which stated that the HPC will take over the regulation of Social Workers in England from the General Social Care Council (GSCC) following its abolition. The Health Professions Council, which will be called the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) following the abolition of the GSCC, comes under our remit at present and therefore we will continue to scrutinise and oversee all aspects of their work, including social work in England.

• If I wish to complain about a health professional, who should I contact?

  We have written guidance on our website for those who wish to complain about health professionals. We have also written guidance to help you get the best out of your interactions with health professionals called Health Professional Regulation and Me.

• I am a health profession and my case has been determined by my regulator’s Fitness to Practise panel. I believe the decision is too harsh – can you help me?

  No. As an individual, you have the right to challenge an 'unreasonably harsh' decision in the High Court (the Court of Sessions for Scotland and the High Court of Justice for Northern Ireland).We do not have the power to refer decisions where a professional believes that decisions that made by the panel are too harsh. To find out more about our role in Fitness to Practise decisions made by the regulators’ panels see 'Overseeing Regulators'.