HCPC (the Health & Care Professions Council) is the UK’s biggest professional regulator in terms of the number of professions it regulates.

You have to obtain registration with the HCPC before you may practise anywhere in the UK under one of the following protected titles:

  • Arts Therapist
  • Biomedical Scientist
  • Chiropodist / Podiatrist
  • Clinical Scientist
  • Dietitian
  • Hearing Aid Dispenser
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Operating Department Practitioner
  • Orthoptist
  • Paramedic
  • Physiotherapist
  • Practitioner Psychologist – see important note below
  • Prosthetist / Orthotist
  • Radiographer
  • Speech and Language Therapist.

Six reasons to choose UK HCPC Registration for Allied Health Professionals by UKmed

To maximise your chances of successful UK HCPC registration, our service is all-inclusive so you can start working and earning sooner. We will:

  • Identify the key gaps between your degree and experience on one hand, and the HCPC’s standards of proficiency on the other, in order to minimise the risk of a failed application.
  • Obtain all the required documents for you, paying particular attention to your Course Information Form, certificates of current professional status and criminal records from every European country you are registered in.
  • Prepare a detailed portfolio CV for you, including the Professional Experience evidence to persuade the HCPC to grant you registration.
  • Translate the right documents and have them certified correctly.
  • Deal with the bureaucracy instead of you having to spend time, money and energy.
  • Manage the entire registration process astutely to avoid errors and traps.

Working as an allied health professional in the UK

We think an allied healthcare career in the UK is a great goal to set, thanks to the strengths of the UK’s NHS and private health sector:

  • The NHS is a large public health service, in fact the largest in Europe.
  • Comprehensive health cover from the public purse is available to the country’s population.
  • The private services sector is large. Very large.
  • You will be able to work and save to study part-time for an advanced degree in parallel with your work.
  • You could reach your full potential by rising in seniority, level of responsibility and, of course, salary year after year.
  • Most of all, you will feel needed and appreciated, with employers open to hiring talent from outside the UK.

Tell us your plans and get all the answers you need with our Career advice service.

Is my University degree enough to obtain HCPC registration?

No.

It’s important to know that you are going to have to argue your case and persuade the HCPC to register you. And arguing your case successfully requires good-quality, well-presented and detailed information about your studies as well as your CV.

If the HCPC is not convinced, it may ask you to take a Test of Competence. If you are a Swiss applicant, you may be asked to complete a Period of Adaptation instead.

The crucial first step is to submit a detailed registration pack, including a Course Information Form, detailed evidence of Professional Experience, and an acceptable certificate of English language skills (IELTS or TOEFL IBT). Read on for the minimum acceptable scores.

If you are a Swiss national, a UK national settled in Switzerland, or a non-EEA member-state national who is their spouse or dependant, there is a separate registration route for you. Contact us to find out more.

I am a Psychologist. Do I need HCPC registration?

You probably have to register, but not necessarily with the HCPC.

The are several professional registers in the UK for Psychology graduates – the HCPC register of ‘Practitioner Psychologists’ is just one of them.

Choosing the correct registration/accreditation route is crucial for your professional future in the UK.

You are only required to register with the HCPC if your employers or clients require or expect you to put the protected title Practitioner Psychologist next to your name.

Holding multiple registrations in parallel may be a good UK career strategy for a Psychologist who could wear different hats. For example, the same NHS Trust could advertise for a Practitioner Psychologist and a Psychotherapist, so you may be interested in applying to both.

If, on the other hand, you graduated with a Psychology degree and would like to practise under a different professional title in the UK, contact us for a career advice session before you make your move.

What are the HCPC’s English language certificate rules?

All professionals – except for Speech and Language Therapists – must be certified to IELTS band 7.0 overall with no paper below 6.5.

Alternatively, you can be certified to TOEFL Internet Based Test with a minimum score of 100 out of 120.

Due to the nature of their job, Speech and Language Therapists are required to score 8.0 in IELTS, with no paper below 7.5. Alternatively, they need to score 118 out of 120 in the TOEFL IBT test.

The HCPC only accepts TOEFL scores achieved outside the UK.

How much is the HCPC’s annual fee to stay registered?

Check out the HCPC’s current fees.

Price of UK HCPC Registration for Allied Health Professionals by UKmed

Contact us for an estimate. For a personalised quotation, we recommend booking a consultation session with our Lead Coach first, as every candidate tends to be unique.

 

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