Press Release
HPC launches fees consultation
14 April 2008
The Health Professions Council (HPC) has launched a three month consultation to invite stakeholders for their views on its proposed fees increase for 2009.
Each of the thirteen professions the HPC regulates renews its registration in two-yearly cycles. During the last fees consultation HPC asked registrants whether it should review its fees every two years. The majority of respondents agreed that they would prefer this method so that any increases were incremental and more manageable.
Having reviewed the fees, HPC are inviting anyone with an interest in this issue to respond to the fees increase consultation. The consultation clearly sets out why the HPC is proposing an increase and most importantly how the money will be spent.
The proposed fee increases are moderate, for example the renewal fee is currently £72 and will increase to £76. The increase will allow the HPC to manage the increase in fitness to practise cases and the costs allied with them. Fitness to practise is the largest cost for the HPC and accounted for 27% of the budget in 2006/7.
It will also help us maintain and improve other important functions such as registrations. This includes the costs associated with handling and processing applications for all forms of registration, reviewing and updating standards, and visiting education providers to approve and monitor education programmes to ensure they meet HPC’s standards. We continue to strive to keep our costs to a minimum wherever possible.
HPC President, Anna van der Gaag, commented;
“HPC is the only UK multi-professional regulator and we are committed to giving our registrants an efficient service as well as meeting our objectives in protecting the public.
It’s therefore important that we set our fees at a realistic level to ensure that we continue to function effectively as a regulator. We look forward to listening to stakeholder views on our proposals.”
In the consultation, the HPC have proposed an increase to all registration and scrutiny fees. These increases will affect renewals, readmission, restoration, international/EEA and Grandparenting fees.
The Council is consulting with a variety of stakeholders, including professional bodies, employers, higher education institutions and others with an interest in the HPC’s work.
When the HPC last consulted on fees between November 2006 and January 2007, respondents commented on the cost of producing and sending consultation documents to each registrant. In light of this the Council are sending the consultation document to its comprehensive list of stakeholders only and not direct to all registrants. However, registrants who wish to respond to this consultation can download the document or request a hard copy.
The consultation will run until 14 July 2008. If the proposals are adopted the changes to the fees will be effective from 1 April 2009. Existing registrants would pay the new renewal fee when their profession next renews its registration.
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