Health Professions Council

Health Professions Council

The Health Professions Council (HPC) consulted on proposals for a new ‘Returners to practice’ process from 1st July 2005 until 9th September 2005. When all the responses were received (49 responses from organisations and 17 from individuals) they were analysed and assessed in order to draw out the key themes. As part of the consultation process, the HPC also investigated the various approaches taken by other regulators.

Article 19(3) of the Health Professions Order 2001 allows the HPC to, require persons who have not practised for or during a prescribed period to undertake such education or training or to gain such experience as it shall specify in standards... The inclusion of the phrase “in standards” means that the HPC cannot carry out individual assessments of returners' requirements. The standards can make different provision for different classes of returner. The following decisions have been made with regards to those returning to practise after a period “out of practice”:

Health professionals who have been out of practice will be required to complete a period of updating before they can come back onto the register. They should complete this period before they apply for “readmission”. The period required are as follows:

• 0-2 years out of practice: no requirements;

• 2-5 years out of practice: 30 days updating;

• 5 or more years out of practice: 60 days updating.

For further information about the consultations, please contact Rachel Tripp on 020 7840 9760 or email rachel.tripp@hpc-uk.org