HCPC
HCPC is the UK statutory regulator for 15 health and care professions, maintaining the official Register and enforcing standards of education, conduct, and fitness to practise. It serves hundreds of thousands of registrants, employers, education providers, and the public across all four UK countries.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What HCPC does
HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) is the UK statutory regulator for 15 health and care professions, established by the Health Professions Order 2001 and headquartered in London. It protects the public by maintaining the official Register of qualified professionals — including arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists/podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists/orthotists, radiographers, and speech and language therapists — across the four UK countries. Physiotherapists alone represent over 70,000 of its registrants. Practicing any of these professions in the UK without HCPC registration is unlawful, giving the organization a statutory monopoly on regulatory authority.
The organization's product surface spans an online registration portal, a public Register for credential verification, a comprehensive standards framework covering conduct, performance, ethics, proficiency, and continuing professional development, education programme approval and monitoring, a CPD audit service, a fitness to practise investigation and adjudication function (operating alongside the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service), and a public Data Hub providing interactive dashboards. Its underlying technology is a web-based registration system and a self-serve My Account portal for registrants, supported by a Professional Liaison Service with four regional consultants. The organization has 251-500 employees and is governed by a Council accountable to Parliament through the Professional Standards Authority.
HCPC is funded primarily through recurring professional registration fees paid by registrants on an annual cycle, with fees determined by Council. Its go-to-market is regulatory rather than commercial: registrants are acquired through the statutory registration process, while employers, education providers, and the public access the public Register and supporting guidance. The organization launched a new Corporate Strategy 2026-2031 in May 2026, updated its English language proficiency requirements for international applicants in January 2025, and is evaluating potential expansion to regulate sonographers as a new profession.
HCPC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HCPC
- Legal name
- The Health and Care Professions Council
- Website
- https://hcpc-uk.org
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- HCPC is the UK statutory regulator for 15 health and care professions, maintaining the official Register and enforcing standards of education, conduct, and fitness to practise. It serves hundreds of thousands of registrants, employers, education providers, and the public across all four UK countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HCPC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Professional Regulation
- NAICS
- Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards (HLAJACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Regulatory Compliance, Licensing & Enforcement (Public Health) (HLAJAMAE)
Keywords
Where HCPC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
HCPC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Professional Registration Fees: HCPC generates revenue through registration fees paid by healthcare professionals across 15 regulated professions. Professionals pay fees for initial registration, renewals, and various registration services. These fees fund the regulatory activities including maintaining the Register, conducting fitness to practise investigations, and setting standards for education and training.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Registration Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
HCPC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HCPC is a UK statutory regulator that maintains a public Register of health and care professionals across 15 regulated professions. It processes initial registrations, renewals, and international applications; sets and enforces standards for education, training, conduct, performance, and ethics; approves and monitors UK education programmes; and investigates fitness to practise concerns through hearings and adjudication. Revenue is generated primarily through annual registration fees paid by professionals.
Product overview
HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) is the UK regulator for 15 health and care professions, operating as a unified regulatory platform rather than a traditional product company. Its core offering consists of the Online Register for public verification of professional status, Registration Services managing entry and renewal for regulated professions, a Standards Framework encompassing conduct, proficiency and CPD requirements, and Fitness to Practise investigations. Supporting services include Education Programme Approval for UK training providers, the Professional Liaison Service for stakeholder support, CPD Audit Services, and a Data Hub providing regulatory insights. The My Account Portal enables registrants to manage their status online. Together, these form an integrated regulatory ecosystem serving over 800,000 registrants across arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists/podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists/orthotists, radiographers, and speech and language therapists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Register Public-facing searchable database allowing verification of health and care professionals' registration status, searchable by surname, registration number, or profession across all 15 regulated professions.
- Registration Services Services for joining, renewing, and managing professional registration, including UK applications, international applications, readmission, appeals, and dual registration pathways. Healthcare professionals must complete registration to legally practise in the UK.
- Standards Framework Comprehensive standards including conduct, performance and ethics, proficiency standards for each of the 15 regulated professions, standards of continuing professional development (CPD), and standards relevant to education and training programmes.
- Fitness to Practise Investigation and adjudication service for concerns about registered professionals' conduct, performance, or fitness to practise, including the investigation process, hearings, and published case studies.
- Education Programme Approval Approval and ongoing monitoring of education and training programmes within the UK for the 15 regulated professions, including quality assurance principles, assessments, and stakeholder engagement.
- CPD Audit Service Process for auditing registrants' continuing professional development activities, including CPD profile submission, evidence requirements, and appeals for the audited sample of registrants.
- Data Hub Interactive dashboards and reports providing insights into registrant demographics, education programme performance, fitness to practise cases, and diversity data.
- My Account Portal Online portal for registrants to manage their registration details, complete renewals, and submit professional declarations.
- Returning to Practice Programme Requirements and guidance for professionals returning to practice after a period away, including structured pathways for updating knowledge and skills.
- Professional Liaison Service Advisory service delivered by professional liaison consultants across the four UK countries, offering educational programmes, workshops on professionalism, and webinars on updated standards for registrants and students.
Companies that use HCPC
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
HCPC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
HCPC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Joint Statement Partners (Pharmaceutical Regulators)coreHCPC joined with General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland to issue joint statements on meeting regulatory standards during medicines shortages (GLP-1 receptor agonists).
- Society and College of RadiographerscoreHCPC has previously worked with the Society and College of Radiographers on discussions about the statutory regulation of sonographers. HCPC already regulates radiographers, many of whom work as sonographers.
- Professional BodiescoreHCPC works with professional bodies representing the 15 regulated professions, including the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). These relationships support workforce planning, standards development, and consultation on regulatory matters.
- Education ProviderscoreHCPC approves and monitors education and training programmes across UK institutions. Universities and colleges must meet HCPC standards to have their programmes approved, enabling graduates to register as professionals.
- Other UK RegulatorscoreHCPC collaborates with other healthcare regulators including the General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, and others on matters of shared interest including medicines shortages and professional standards.
- Department of Health and Social CarecoreHCPC works with government departments on policy development, regulation of additional professions, and alignment with national healthcare workforce strategies including the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
- NHS EnglandcoreHCPC collaborates with NHS England on workforce matters, responding to culture reviews and supporting implementation of NHS workforce plans.
- Trade UnionsminorHCPC maintains relationships with trade unions representing health and care professionals to understand workplace issues and communicate regulatory requirements.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
HCPC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Care Quality Commission (CQC): England's independent regulator of health and adult social care providers (services and settings rather than individual professionals). A broader incumbent in the same regulatory landscape, overlapping with HCPC on quality and public-protection mandates.
Regional players
- Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC): Statutory regulator for the social services workforce in Scotland. Similar role to Social Work England but operates within a different UK devolved jurisdiction, making it a regional peer to HCPC's cross-UK model.
Others
- Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA): Oversees the nine UK statutory healthcare regulators including HCPC. Comparable not as a competitor but as the umbrella authority that reviews HCPC's performance and accreditations, making it a key ecosystem participant.
- Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS): Statutory tribunal service that adjudicates HCPC fitness to practise hearings. Operationally linked to HCPC and provides the adjudication infrastructure that complements HCPC's regulatory functions.
Direct peers
- Social Work England: Statutory regulator for social workers in England, maintaining a Register, education approval, and fitness to practise processes. Closely comparable regulatory operating model to HCPC.
- General Optical Council (GOC): Statutory regulator for optometrists, dispensing opticians and optical businesses. Operates a Register, sets education standards, and investigates fitness to practise concerns in a manner directly analogous to HCPC.
- General Dental Council (GDC): UK statutory regulator for dental professionals, with comparable registration, fitness to practise, and education approval functions across a defined profession set.
- General Medical Council (GMC): UK statutory regulator for doctors with an exclusive registration monopoly, fitness to practise processes, and standards framework. The most direct structural peer to HCPC, differing only by profession (medicine vs 15 allied health professions).
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): UK statutory regulator for nurses and midwives, operating an online Register, registration fees, education programme approval and fitness to practise processes. Highly comparable operating model to HCPC.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC): Statutory regulator for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain. Shares the same statutory architecture, registration fee model, and inter-regulator joint statements as HCPC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
HCPC social profiles
Digital presenceHCPC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HCPC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
HCPC subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
HCPC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HCPC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HCPC
What does HCPC do?
HCPC is a UK statutory regulator that maintains a public Register of health and care professionals across 15 regulated professions. It processes initial registrations, renewals, and international applications; sets and enforces standards for education, training, conduct, performance, and ethics; approves and monitors UK education programmes; and investigates fitness to practise concerns through hearings and adjudication. Revenue is generated primarily through annual registration fees paid by professionals.
Is HCPC a public or private company?
HCPC is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was HCPC founded?
HCPC was founded in 2001. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is HCPC based?
HCPC is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does HCPC make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Registration Fees.
Who are HCPC's main competitors?
Care Quality Commission (CQC) is listed as a broad incumbent. Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is listed as a regional player. Others are Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) and Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS). Direct peers are Social Work England, General Optical Council (GOC), General Dental Council (GDC), General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
Does HCPC have an API?
No public API is recorded for HCPC.
What industry is HCPC in?
HCPC's product category is Healthcare Professional Regulation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJACAC, Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards, with a secondary code of HLAJAMAE, Regulatory Compliance, Licensing & Enforcement (Public Health). Its NAICS code is 921.