Committee publication · Correspondence · 16 July 2026
Correspondence from the PSA - Review of HCPC
Summary
The Professional Standards Authority reports on the Health and Care Professions Council's (HCPC) regulatory performance for 2025/26. The HCPC met 3 of 5 fitness-to-practise standards and 16 of 18 overall. Key concerns persist: case progression delays affecting 40% of audited cases; inconsistent support for parties involved in proceedings; and unmet standards since 2015/16 regarding investigation timeliness.
Key findings
- HCPC met only 3 of 5 fitness-to-practise standards in 2025/26, with case progression (Standard 15) unmet for the eleventh consecutive year
- 40% of audited cases contained avoidable and/or unexplained significant delays; open caseload has increased despite improvement efforts
- Quality of investigations improved but timeliness remains poor, directly impacting public protection and confidence in the regulatory system
- Standard 17 (high-risk case management) met, though risk assessments require quality and timeliness improvements and internal guidance compliance varies
- Standard 18 (party support) unmet: customer service issues, poor communication, and inconsistent responsiveness identified across caseload despite remedial actions undertaken
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), Layla Moran MP (Chair, Health and Social Care Select Committee), Caroline Corby (Chair, Professional Standards Authority), Christine Elliott (Chair, HCPC), James Murray MP (Secretary of State for Health and Social Care)
Notable line
“The HCPC has not met Standard 15 since 2015/16, and we remain concerned about the impact significant delays are having on public protection and public confidence.”
Key Quotes
“We identified avoidable and/or unexplained significant delays in approximately 40% of cases we reviewed in our audit.”
“The HCPC has not met Standard 15 since 2015/16, and we remain concerned about the impact significant delays are having on public protection and public confidence.”
“Poor communication, including failures to provide updates on case progression, can add to the stress and harm caused by the process.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗