HCPC register checks for employers
How to check a physio, paramedic, radiographer or other HCPC professional is registered, and what to ask their referees next.
How do you do an HCPC register check?
To do an HCPC register check, search the Health and Care Professions Council register on the HCPC website by surname or registration number, and choose the profession. It confirms whether the person is currently registered in that profession. It is free and public. An HCPC check does not show how someone worked, so RefAssure collects the written references for that part.
Who the HCPC regulates
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates 15 professions in the UK:
- Arts therapists
- Biomedical scientists
- Chiropodists and podiatrists
- Clinical scientists
- Dietitians
- Hearing aid dispensers
- Occupational therapists
- Operating department practitioners
- Orthoptists
- Paramedics
- Physiotherapists
- Practitioner psychologists
- Prosthetists and orthotists
- Radiographers
- Speech and language therapists
Each profession has protected titles, such as physiotherapist or paramedic, that a person may not use unless they are on the register. Some allied health roles sit with other regulators: social workers in England are registered with Social Work England, osteopaths with the General Osteopathic Council and chiropractors with the General Chiropractic Council. Check the right register for the role.
What the register tells you
An entry confirms the person's name, profession, registration number and whether they are currently registered. Someone whose registration has lapsed, been suspended or been removed will not show as registered. The HCPC also publishes fitness to practise hearing outcomes on its website, which you can check if you need more context. Save a dated note of each search, because the register shows the position on the day you look.
How to check the HCPC register.
Ask for the number
Get the candidate's HCPC registration number. Each starts with letters showing the profession, such as PH for physiotherapists or PA for paramedics.
Search the register
Search on the HCPC website by registration number or surname, and select the profession.
Check the entry
Confirm the name, profession and registered status match the role, and note anything about restrictions on practice.
Record and recheck
Save the date of the check to the staff file. Registration is renewed every two years, so recheck after each renewal period.
Register check vs reference check.
| HCPC register check | Written reference | |
|---|---|---|
| Currently registered in the profession | Yes | No |
| Fitness to practise outcomes from the HCPC | Yes | No |
| Clinical competence in a real role | No | Yes |
| Capability or disciplinary processes handled internally | No | Yes, if the referee is asked |
| Conduct with patients and colleagues | No | Yes |
| Reason for leaving and would re-employ | No | Yes |
AHP references, chased for you.
Clinical leads are busy. RefAssure sends a secure link they can complete on any device, and reminds them until they do.
- Add your profession-specific questions to a template once, or upload your own form
- Candidate consent collected online, with signature, before referees are contacted
- 4 in 10 references were completed after an automatic reminder
- Signed PDF with a timestamped audit trail for each reference
What to ask an allied health professional's referee
Many concerns about clinicians are handled by the employer through supervision or a capability process, and never reach the HCPC. Good questions surface them.
- Dates, job title, band and the setting the person worked in
- Clinical reasoning and competence for the role
- Record keeping and communication with patients and the team
- Any complaints, incidents, capability or disciplinary processes
- Any concerns about their fitness to practise
- Reason for leaving and whether they would re-employ
Tailor it to the profession
A paramedic's referee might be asked about decision making under pressure and handovers. A radiographer's referee might be asked about radiation safety and patient identification. A speech and language therapist's referee might be asked about caseload management and working with families. RefAssure has no built-in profession templates, so add the questions your service expects to your own template once and reuse it for every hire in that profession.
NHS employers in England follow the NHS Employment Check Standards, which ask for references validating three consecutive years of employment or training. See our NHS references guide and the six NHS pre-employment checks.
HCPC check questions
More in the full FAQs.
Is the HCPC register check free?
Yes. The HCPC register is public and free to search on the HCPC website. You do not need an account.
How often should employers check HCPC registration?
At appointment, and again after each two-yearly renewal period for the profession. Some employers check more often for agency staff.
Are social workers on the HCPC register?
Not in England. Social workers in England have been registered with Social Work England since December 2019. See our children's social care references page.
Does RefAssure check the HCPC register?
No. RefAssure collects references and employment history. You check the HCPC register directly. RefAssure then handles consent, the requests, chasing and the signed PDF.
Are there built-in HCPC reference templates?
No. RefAssure has five starter templates, and you add the questions your profession expects once. You can also upload your own PDF or Word form and it becomes a template in about 20 seconds.
What does it cost?
Your first reference is free. Then credits run from 99p to 80p each, with no monthly fee and no VAT added. See pricing.
What if the candidate is not on the HCPC register?
Check the spelling, the profession and the registration number first, then ask the candidate. Someone who is not registered cannot use a protected title such as physiotherapist or paramedic, so do not appoint them to a registered role until it is resolved.
Related guides
Registered and properly referenced.
Your first reference is free. Two minutes to send, and RefAssure does the chasing.