In July 2016 the HCPC confirmed the creation of the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) to ensure the clear separation between the investigation of fitness to practise allegations and their adjudication.
The HCPTS was launched in April 2017 and is the hearings service leg of the regulator. The intention is to reassure registrants involved in fitness to practise investigations that the panels hearing the cases are separate and distinct to those who investigate the case against them. The hope is that this will remove the perception that the individuals concerned were being tried by those who bring the cases against them.
The HCPC has followed the lead of the General Medical Council, who established the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in 2012, after the government’s recommendations suggesting the separation of investigation and tribunal services for regulators.
The HCPTS key features are as follows:
- The new tribunal centre – a dedicated tribunal centre in Kennington, South London with a range of resources, including video conferencing and teleconferencing facilities.
- The Tribunal Advisory Committee (TAC) – The TAC advises on recruitment, training and assessment of tribunal panellist, chairs and legal assessors in addition to being responsible for issuing guidance on practice and procedure.
- HCPTS website – the new website explains the role of the tribunal service and provides guidance on practice and procedure.
The HCPC is the regulator for the 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, social workers in England and speech and language therapists.
If you require assistance in dealing with a referral to the HCPC please contact our team for expert advice. For more information, visit our HCPC page or call 01616 966 229.
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