HCPC Agreed Outcomes: A Registrant's Guide to Consent Orders

Few registrants realise, until they are facing a hearing, that a fitness to practise case does not always have to end in a public, contested hearing. HCPC agreed outcomes is the term used for resolving a case by consent, where the registrant and the Health and Care Professions Council agree a proposed sanction instead of going through a full hearing.

This guide explains how HCPC agreed outcomes work, who can use the process, what it involves, and how to prepare, updated for 2026.

What Is the Purpose of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)?

The HCPC is the statutory regulator of fifteen health and care professions in the UK, and its core function is to protect the public. It does this by setting standards for education, training and practice, approving the programmes professionals must complete, keeping a register of everyone who meets those standards, and taking action against registrants who fall below them. You can read more on the HCPC's own how we work page.

HCPC agreed outcomes sit within that last function. When a registrant's conduct or performance falls short of the required standard, the HCPC has to decide how a case concludes, and consent is one of the routes available alongside a contested hearing.

What Are HCPC Agreed Outcomes?

HCPC agreed outcomes, more formally known as disposal by consent guidance, is a process by which a registrant and the HCPC can seek to conclude a fitness to practise case without a contested hearing. Cases can be resolved this way before a final hearing takes place, or afterwards where a suspension or conditions of practice order is already in force.

There are two types of consent order used in HCPC agreed outcomes, as the table below shows.

Who Qualifies for HCPC Agreed Outcomes?

The HCPC applies a set of criteria before it will consider resolving a case this way.

• The Investigating Committee has already found a case to answer
• The registrant is willing to admit both the allegations and that their fitness to practise is impaired
• The registrant has shown insight into the key issues and a willingness to address them
• Any remedial action proposed is consistent with what a panel would likely order at a full hearing
• The proper level of public protection is still being secured, with no detriment to the wider public interest

You can read the HCPC's own guidance on disposal by consent for the full criteria and process.

How Does the HCPC Agreed Outcomes Process Work?

Reaching HCPC agreed outcomes follows a defined sequence rather than a quiet, private deal.

1. The registrant contacts their case manager to discuss whether consent might be appropriate.
2. The registrant completes the Response Proforma for Consensual Disposal, setting out the proposed outcome.
3. The HCPC reviews the request against its criteria and the Indicative Sanctions Policy.
4. If the HCPC supports the proposal, it makes an application to a panel of the relevant committee.
5. The panel meets in public to consider the application and decides whether to grant the order.

If the panel does not agree the application, the case proceeds to a full substantive hearing, and anything discussed during the consent process is treated as without prejudice and not shared with the hearing panel.

Does Wider Reform Change HCPC Agreed Outcomes?

Alongside the existing consent process, the Professional Standards Authority has been developing a broader "accepted outcomes" model that several UK health regulators, including the HCPC, expect to adopt once legislative reform allows it. Under that model, case examiners could conclude more cases on paper where a registrant accepts the findings, accepts impairment, and agrees to the proposed sanction, reserving hearings for cases involving disputed facts or where testing insight in person would be beneficial.

How Should a Registrant Prepare for HCPC Agreed Outcomes?

Preparation shapes whether an HCPC agreed outcomes route is available at all, not only how it goes.

1. Speak to your professional body, union or a regulatory solicitor as soon as a case to answer decision is made.
2. Be honest with yourself about whether you can genuinely admit the allegations and impairment.
3. Gather evidence of insight, such as reflection, training and changes already made to your practice.
4. Draft a realistic proposed outcome that a panel would plausibly order at a full hearing.
5. Complete targeted ethics or professional standards training to strengthen your consent case.

Many registrants use our remediation courses for regulatory cases to build that evidence, and organisations supporting several colleagues through the same process can review our bulk-buy offer for group access.

Conclusion

HCPC agreed outcomes offer a less adversarial route through a fitness to practise case, but they are only available where a registrant is genuinely willing to admit what happened and show real insight. Understanding the criteria, the process and what a panel expects helps you judge early on whether consent is realistic for your case. If you are preparing now, start building your evidence of insight and remediation with our CPD-certified courses for regulatory investigations.

This guide is for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, contact a specialist regulatory solicitor or your professional body.