HCPC

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.

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

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

• Healthcare professional regulation
• Statutory registration services
• Fitness to practise
• Education programme approval
• Professional standards framework

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Joint Statement Partners (Pharmaceutical Regulators)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2023HCPC 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 RadiographerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2020HCPC 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 BodiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCPC 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 ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCPC 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 RegulatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCPC 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 CarecoreOthersHCPC 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 EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCPC collaborates with NHS England on workforce matters, responding to culture reviews and supporting implementation of NHS workforce plans.
• Trade UnionsminorOthersHCPC 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/The_HCPC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HCPCuk
• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/hcpcuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-health-and-care-professions-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HCPC