On Wednesday (5 November) members of the HCPC Council and Executive Leadership Team held an event at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to meet with a range of MPs, peers and officials.
The event was hosted by Sonia Kumar MP, who continues to be a registered physiotherapist, and an active champion for the professions we regulate.
The drop-in session gave Parliamentarians the opportunity to meet the senior team at HCPC, including our Chair and Chief Executive, and learn more our regulatory work, as well as about the importance of the professionals on our register.
It was great to put healthcare scientists, allied health professionals, and psychologists at the forefront of the discussion and we were pleased to be joined by a range of MPs who themselves have been, or remain, HCPC registrants.
Attending the event were MPs from a range of parties, representing the length of breadth of the UK. These also included frontbench health spokespeople, Select Committee members, and the Minister of Health for Northern Ireland, who was fortunately visiting Westminster that day.
‘“It was fantastic to have the opportunity to speak directly to policy makers and Parliamentarians about the incredible work being done by the professionals on the HCPC register. As a regulator, we want to be fit for the future and as effective as possible in supporting those we regulate and protecting the public.
‘We have been in need of reform to our legislation for some time, and we are pleased that the government has committed to making this happen. We wanted to speak to MPs about the urgency in getting these changes implemented so we can enhance our impact and continue to protect the public.” ’
‘“I was incredibly pleased to host this event, which celebrated the work of health and care professionals, as well as highlighting what an important job the HCPC does in protecting the public. It was great to see colleagues from across the House come and speak to the team and learn more about the work being done. Over 360,000 people are on the HCPC register, and their hard work, skill and the high standards they maintain every day needs to be celebrated more in this country.”’
‘“It was great to hear so much interest from MPs about the work our registrants do. We held some really good conversations about how we work, how our standards are set and met, and the steps we are taking to develop ourselves as a regulator.
‘It was also very pleasing to hear their support for the reform to our legislation. We look forward to continuing to work with government to get these changes implemented. o work to get ready for when the time comes.”’
