Statement on the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine

The government has announced that it will bring in regulations to revoke vaccination as a condition of deployment. The regulations come into force on 15 March.

Since the start of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, the HCPC has strongly encouraged all our registrants to take up the vaccine, if they are able to do so.

We have a number of Standards in place that are relevant in the context of COVID-19 vaccination. These Standards reinforce the personal professional responsibility for ensuring the safe delivery of care and a safe working environment for colleagues. Our Standards of Proficiency set out the need for registrants to establish and maintain a safe practice environment; to maintain the safety of both service users and those involved in their care; and to select appropriate personal protective equipment and use it correctly.

Our Standards for Conduct Performance and Ethics require our registrants to take all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of harm to service users, carers and colleagues and not do anything, or allow someone else to do anything, which could put the health or safety of a service user, carer, or colleague at unacceptable risk.

The HCPC does not set specific requirements for registrants to have particular vaccinations. This is because such requirements can depend on a number of different factors including the specific professional context in which registrants are working, the particular role they play, the service users they support and any relevant individual health matters. Such requirements are normally determined by local policies set by employers.

While the HCPC does not set specific requirements for registrants to be vaccinated, registrants have personal professional responsibility towards patients and the wider public. Covid-19 vaccination protects patients and the public, as well as registrants and their colleagues. All registrants should ensure that they meet their HCPC Standards at all times and follow local policies in place as set out by their employer.”

More information is available on HCPC’s Covid hub.

Please note that the consultation on ending vaccination as a condition of deployment only applies in England. However, HCPC's Standards apply to registrants across the UK.