Health Professions Council

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

Hi all,
Every podiatrist in the UK will have had some experience of the dreaded Health Professions Council (HPC). For those who don't have any experience of this Govt-backed body, the HPC is has been set up to regulate professions allied to medicine. These range from podiatry and physiotherapy to (at the other end of the spectrum) art therapy. One of the HPC's much touted aims is to "protect the public". Currently it's doing this by charging registrants twice as much as the old regulatory body did.

The HPC is looking after "Grandparenting" in the UK. This is the process by which the previously unregistered podiatrist can gain admission onto the register (thereby becoming eligible to work in the NHS). In theory, after May 2005, only the registered can use the titles podiatrist and chiropodist. In practice anyone can treat feet after this date, but they have to use a different title (and Foot Health Professional is a favourite right now).
Another opportunity to close the profession in the UK has been lost, probably due to political expediency.
The HPC will also ensure that Continuing Professional Development (CPD) becomes a feature of every registrant's life. So thats good, although how they are going to do this is unclear at the moment.

Colleagues have argued in the past for our own regulatory body, a General Podiatry Council, and although this would certainly be best for the profession in the UK it would seem that this particular move is further away than ever.
Regards,
DavidH

 

Hpc

hi david,
no expert on these things, but then again, it seems neither are the HPC at times We may be chasing a pot of gold, at the end of a rapidly fading rainbow!

Whilst on the hpc and stuff, what is the status of SRCh ? I understand it as defunct and not protected?

kind regards to all

( forum is superb in only 1 week)

 

Hi Steven,

In the UK State Registration has been superceeded by HPC registration (the same thing really but much more expensive). Without wanting to denigrate former SRCh colleagues, the title SRCh is now meaningless. Some podiatrists place the term "former SRCh" on stationary and Yellow Pages adverts, but in reality I don't think this carries much weight with the average patient.

I know of at least one SMAE-trained podiatrist who is an HPC assessor, so in the eyes of the HPC (read government) the only qualification anyone currently needs to become a podiatrist is HPC-registration. Of course no one can become HPC-reg after July next year without completeing a degree in podiatry or podiatric medicine.

Agree totally about the site. Good one Craig!
Regards,
David

 

Hi Davidh, you may be interested to know that even if you are HPC registered, you still need to have a degree to be able to work within the NHS. I do know this for sure because I am HPC registered and become so through the grandparenting route and do not have a degree (although I have other non-graded qualifications), but could not get a job within the NHS, save as a private practioner within the NHS.

 

Hi Ros,

Thank you for resurrecting a very old thread.

I believe the problem you face is that there simply aren't enough Podiatry jobs in the NHS. With many Pods chasing each job Managers can pick and choose, and they may prefer to hire a Pod with a degree qualification.

In the last round of grandparenting (1964 or thereabouts I think), most of the grandparented who wanted to walked straight into NHS jobs, there being plenty of available Chiropodist posts and relatively few State Registered Chiropodists.

 

Hi Davidh, can I just confirm we are talking about the same thing. You said the last round of grandparenting was circa 1964 or thereabouts, I grandparented approx. 5 years ago. I have never been state registered. I qualified at the SMAE and became HPC registered through that route. It is interesting that you say the NHS would not offer my a job because of the lack of chiropody posts available, well for sure that situation is most definitely going to get worse, however, fortunately I have enough private work to suffice. Best wishes.

 

The thread you have picked up on from David was posted in 2004 !!
Hence the confusion with the Grandparenting.
The date posted is shown at the top of every post in the top left corner.
The 1964 Granparenting process was a seperate issue to yours.
Hope that helps
Cheers
D

 

Hi DTT, thanks for that and that would explain it. So am I right in saying I would not be able to get a job within the NHS even though I am HPC registered as I do not have a degree? Best wishes.

 

I think unfortunately, the choice is theirs as to whom they employ,with the todays emphasis on degree status rather than clinical competence.

My own opinion is having worked for the NHS in a former life...Never again.

I enjoy doing my job properly without involvement of bureaucratic political correctness at the expense of common sense which denies proper patient care.

You apparently have a productive private practice....My opinion ..stick with it !!

Cheers
D

 

You old cynic!
.

 

Hi DTT, yes I totally agree. Clinical competence is far more important than degree status and also the pressure an NHS job would involve.

 

Hi mate

Yeah different situation but same crappy restriction on proper patient care which is/was cost driven

Still bummblig along making patients better.

Hope your well buddy

Cheers
D

 

I think a generalisation on clinical competance is not a good prospective.

There are many siuations in podiatry to which I would not feel comfortable or competent to take on,

BUT

I practice at my own level and am never afraid to refer on to those with greater kowledge but all the time watching to make sure the :-

" ive got a degree but am clinically incompetant" crap dosent shine through

but hey ho I still make patients better and have done for many a long year...SO

Cheers
D

 

I like the idea of an overarching body like the HPC. Generally my experience with them has been good.

 

That would be fair enough if:

i) They were an overarching body

ii) If all registrants had, like you, a good experience

The problem is that the HPC is a bureaucratic nightmare set up for the sole stated purpose of 'protecting the patient' and spreading it's tentacles ever wider whilst growing exponentially scooping up more and more professions. It gathers it's nutrition from one source only - us! We pay for this monstrous entity which was formed to act against our interests and those of the other PAMs who were unwise enough to fall for their equivocation. Just ask yourself three simple questions:

i) what has the HPC done for patient safety, since it only controls those persons who pay for its existence and not those outside eg. in our case FHPs, but there are plenty of other non-registered working in the fields of physiotherapy etc.? There is no intention of registering these people, and thus no control. You are required to fulfil regulations such as autoclaving instruments etc.; they are not, but they are doing portions of the same job as you

ii) what has the HPC done for the profession and professionalism, since it exists to remove elements of that self determination of which we are so proud?

iii) what has the HPC done for you, as an individual to improve your life or service to your patient? I would suggest nothing at all.

If we are honest, and it hurts, we will admit that we were duped. We are now in an inextricable situation because it is a requirement that if you work in the NHS or in private hospitals, you must be HPC registered. In the USA they have anti-trust laws set up specifically to prevent this sort of situation occurring.

Bill Liggins

 

And what, pray tell, do you base your experience on?