Press Release

HPC re-elects Council President

16 September 2008

The Health Professions Council (HPC) is pleased to announce the re-appointment of Anna Van der Gaag as Council President. Anna was unanimously re-elected by Council on the 11 September 2008 having served as President for over two years.

Anna was first appointed as President in July 2006 and was also recently re-elected as HPC’s registrant speech and language therapist Council Member in July this year.

Anna van der Gaag is a self employed consultant and Honorary Research Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Glasgow. She has been actively involved in research and development initiatives in speech and language therapy for more than two decades. Her current research work includes user involvement in decision making, e-learning in post graduate education and improving communication between primary care practitioners and people with communication disabilities. Anna has been a member of various advisory groups for the Medical Research Council, Department of Health, Kings Fund and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

HPC president, Anna van der Gaag commented:

“I am very honoured to have been re-elected as President of HPC and hope that I can continue to serve the Council during this period of change. The HPC continues to welcome new challenges and I look forward to working with colleagues on the Council to continually improve our services and work with the professions to maintain high standards of good professional practice.”

The Council is responsible for developing strategies and policies. It consists of 26 members: one member from each of the professions, (plus 13 alternate members), 13 lay members, and a president. The current president is an HPC registrant.