HCPC publishes revised standards of education and training

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has published revised Standards of Education and Training following a comprehensive review and public consultation involving education providers, professional bodies, learners, service users and other stakeholders. The revised standards have been designed to ensure that future health and care professionals trained in the UK possess the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deliver safe and effective care.

The updated standards aim to provide greater clarity, adopt a more future-focused approach and better reflect developments within health and care education. They have been published in advance of their implementation date of 1 September 2027.

The revisions retain the HCPC’s outcome-focused approach, allowing education providers flexibility in how programmes are designed and delivered, provided regulatory requirements are met. No changes have been made to the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics or the Standards of Proficiency.

Key changes include a clearer structure that distinguishes between institution-level and programme-level requirements, strengthened expectations relating to equality, diversity and inclusion, and new requirements supporting the ethical and effective use of technology, including artificial intelligence. The revised standards also reinforce expectations across all learning environments, including classroom-based, practice-based and remote learning settings, to ensure learners receive a safe, effective and high-quality educational experience regardless of delivery method.

The HCPC has stated that it will provide implementation guidance and webinars to support education providers in understanding and applying the new standards ahead of their introduction in September 2027. The regulator also acknowledged the contribution of consultation respondents, noting that their feedback helped shape standards that support high-quality education, prepare learners for evolving professional practice and strengthen public protection.

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