The College of Paramedics is drawing members’ attention to the recent changes to the Health and Care Professions Council's standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
In its latest update, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), has updated six of its 10 standards which make up its ethical framework.
The HCPC has also released updated guidance on social media use with all changes coming into force from 1 September 2024.
The following standards have been updated:
- Promote and protect the interests of service users and carers
- Communicate appropriately and effectively
- Work within the limits of your knowledge and skills
- Manage risk
- Report concerns about safety
- Be open when thing go wrong
Updates centre around five distinct themes - communication, duty of candour, upskilling and training responsibilities, managing existing health conditions and disabilities in the workplace, and equality, diversity and inclusion.
The College welcomes the following addition to standard 7 that requires registrants to report concerns about safety. Sub standard 7.5 says;
You must raise concerns regarding colleagues if you witness bullying, harassment or intimidation of a service user, carer or another colleague. This should be done following the relevant procedures within your practice or organisation and maintaining the safety of all involved.
The HCPC ethical framework outlines how registrants are expected to behave. The HCPC registers all 14 allied health professions, and paramedics must be registered with them in order to practise.
Responsibility lies with registrants
Bernie O'Reilly, chief executive and registrar at the HCPC, emphasised that it is every registrant's responsibility to revise the new updated standards.
"It is every registrant’s responsibility to make sure they are familiar with the changes to the standards and guidance on social media and continue to meet them," he said. "We have worked closely with stakeholders, such as yourself, in both the development of the standards and guidance, and in the promotion of the changes to registrants."
"We would urge everyone to make sure that their members or colleagues are aware of the updates, and thereby help us embed these revised standards."
The HCPC has published resources regarding the changes on its website, which you can access here.
"The revisions make the standards clearer and more relevant to current practice," Mr O'Reilly continued. "I have no doubt that they will support all our registrants, to conduct themselves with professionalism and pride every day."