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Probity & Ethics · HCPC · Healthcare Professionals

HCPC Investigations Explained: What Triggers a Referral and How to Respond

A letter from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) can arrive after a single complaint, an employer report or even your own declaration. HCPC investigations are designed to protect the public, not to punish, but the stakes for your registration are real. Knowing what actually triggers a referral, what the HCPC weighs when deciding whether to investigate and how to use your chance to respond can change how your case develops. This guide explains where concerns come from, how the HCPC's threshold test works, which concerns go straight to a panel and how to prepare a strong written response.

What Are HCPC Investigations?

HCPC investigations are the process the HCPC uses to decide whether a registrant's fitness to practise may be impaired. They cover the 15 professions on the HCPC register, including paramedics, physiotherapists, radiographers and practitioner psychologists.

An investigation moves from triage, through information gathering and a threshold assessment, to a decision by the Investigating Committee on whether there is a case to answer. For a full walkthrough of the process, read our guide to dealing with an HCPC investigation.

Who Raises Concerns With the HCPC?

Concerns come from a wide range of sources, and many registrants are surprised by how often professionals refer themselves. The HCPC's fitness to practise data for 2023-24 shows where concerns came from.

Source of Concern	Cases in 2023-24
Self-referral	496
Employer	349
Patient or service user	318
Member of the public	125
Other HCPC registrant	72
Anonymous	49
Police	23

The source was not known in 651 cases. The HCPC notes that most of these did not pass triage. In total, 1,953 of the 2,226 concerns received met triage.

Self-referral is a professional responsibility, not a choice. The HCPC says registrants have a personal responsibility to tell it if their health or character changes in a way that might affect their fitness to practise.

Buy the How to Deal with a Complaint or Investigation Course (2 CPD hours)

What Triggers a Full HCPC Investigation?

A concern triggers a full investigation when it suggests your fitness to practise may be impaired. The HCPC threshold policy, dated July 2022, sets out the five statutory grounds:

Misconduct
Lack of competence
A criminal conviction or caution
Physical or mental health
A determination by another regulator

Decision makers then weigh factors such as risk to the public, whether public confidence could be undermined, whether honesty or integrity is in doubt, whether the matter is isolated or part of a pattern and whether you have already remediated your practice. The policy also notes that incidents over five years old may not meet the threshold, although each case is judged on its merits.

Concerns That Go Straight to a Panel

Some concerns are so serious that they skip the initial investigation and go directly to the Investigating Committee. The threshold policy lists examples including serious violence, sexual assault or indecency, criminal offences involving a child, improper relationships with a service user, dishonesty, and serious or reckless errors that caused or could cause serious harm.

How to Respond to HCPC Investigations

If the threshold is met, the HCPC drafts allegations and invites you to respond. Your response is your best opportunity to show the panel who you are as a professional.

Get advice first: the HCPC suggests seeking advice from your union or professional body, or independent legal advice, before responding.
Note the deadline: you are invited to respond within 28 days of the letter. The HCPC can extend this by up to a further 28 days.
Set out a clear timeline: explain what happened, in order, with dates.
Show learning: describe what you have learned and how it relates to the HCPC standards.
Evidence action taken: include steps you have taken to put things right, such as targeted CPD and changes to your practice.

You do not have to respond, but the HCPC notes that a response helps the panel make its decision. Our HCPC remediation courses are designed to support this evidence.

Buy the Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals Course (2 CPD hours)

Conclusion

HCPC investigations start with a concern, but they turn on evidence: whether your fitness to practise may be impaired and what you have done about it. Know where concerns come from, understand the threshold test and treat the 28-day response as a real opportunity. Get advice from your union, professional body or a specialist solicitor, then show learning and change in practice. If you are facing a concern now, start your remediation early and read our guide to what happens at an HCPC hearing so you know what may follow.

Key Takeaways

Which course should I take for an HCPC complaint or investigation? Match the course to the allegation — Which course do I need? lists them by concern; for HCPC registrants, the HCPC ethics and HCPC professionalism courses follow the HCPC standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
Will a course help my HCPC investigation? A course is evidence of insight and remediation, which the HCPC case examiners or Investigating Committee look for — strongest with a written reflection and changes in your practice. No course can guarantee an outcome.
When should I send the certificate and reflection to the HCPC? With your written response, before the HCPC case examiners or Investigating Committee decide — or before an HCPC final hearing or a review if the case has gone further.
Can I finish the course before my deadline, and is it CPD accredited? Yes — it is online and self-paced with a certificate on completion, and CPD certified and accredited by The CPD Certification Service, counting towards your HCPC CPD record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What triggers HCPC investigations?

HCPC investigations are triggered when a concern suggests a registrant's fitness to practise may be impaired by misconduct, lack of competence, a conviction or caution, health, or another regulator's determination. Serious concerns such as dishonesty or serious violence go straight to the Investigating Committee.

How many concerns does the HCPC receive?

The HCPC received 2,226 fitness to practise concerns in 2023-24, up 25.83 percent from 1,769 the year before. Of these, 1,953 met triage. Self-referrals were the largest known source, at 496 cases, followed by employers at 349 and service users at 318.

How long do I have to respond to the HCPC?

The HCPC invites a written response within 28 days of its letter setting out the allegations. It can grant an extension of up to a further 28 days. Beyond that, you would need to apply in writing to the Investigating Committee.

Do I have to respond to HCPC investigations?

No. The HCPC says you do not have to send a response, but a response helps the panel decide whether there is a case to answer. Most advisers recommend responding with a clear timeline, evidence of learning and the steps you have taken to put things right.

Can old incidents lead to an HCPC investigation?

They can, but the HCPC threshold policy says concerns about incidents over five years old may not be capable of meeting the threshold for investigation. Each case is still judged on its own merits, including the seriousness of the concern and any risk to the public.

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 medical defence organisation.

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The CPD courses linked from this guide, How to Deal with a Complaint or Investigation and Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals, are by Probity & Ethics, written by Dr Shehzad Iqbal, CPD certified and accredited by The CPD Certification Service (provider no. 13197) and offered since 2020.