FHCS statement: Registration doesn’t guarantee competence

Most employers are, by now, aware of the requirement for clinical scientists and biomedical scientists to be registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC). Other groups are lining up to become registered.

Currently applicants from the UK obtain entry to the HPC register by undergoing an approved training or obtaining a certificate of competence recognised by HPC. However for applicants from overseas countries the whole process of getting on the register is handled by HPC itself and does not involve UK higher education institutions or professional assessment bodies.

It is sometimes not appreciated that the level of competence required for entry to the register is based on ensuring that the registrant is unlikely to harm a patient, namely that he/she is aware of the limits of their capability. Being on the HPC register is not in itself a guarantee that the applicant for a post is proficient in all the skills required. It is for the employing authority to ensure that this is the case.

A particularly important area of attention for applicants who are non-native English speakers is their ability to understand and be understood in professional communications.  In the case of applicants from the European Economic Area, European Union legislation specifies that the HPC are not allowed to test the English language proficiency of applicants from the European Economic Area (European Union states plus some others). They could only do so by also testing native English speakers, something which currently does not happen.  For those applying to join the register from outside the European Union, the HPC make use of a British Council administered general test (IELTS).   This underlines the need for employers to ensure that candidates for a post have sufficient communication skills to perform the duties effectively.

November 2007

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