New standards of conduct, performance and ethics for paramedics launched

The health and care professions council (HCPC), the body that regulates and registers paramedics, last week launched revised standards of conduct, performance and ethics that paramedics are expected to adhere to. The HCPC expects all registered paramedics to be familiar with the standards and meet them; the standards also apply if you are a student paramedic. In addition if you are applying to be registered you will be asked to sign a declaration to confirm that you will keep to the standards once you are registered.

The standards reflect both the public’s expectations of professionals and the high standards that professionals expect of each other.  The HCPC have made a number of revisions to the standards including

• A standard about reporting and escalating concerns about the safety and wellbeing of service users (standard 7).
• A standard about being open and honest when things go wrong (standard 8). Individuals are expected to tell service users and carers when they become aware that something has gone wrong with the care, treatment or other services that they provide and to take action to put matters right wherever possible. They are also required to consider making an apology and to make sure that the service user receives an explanation of what happened.
• Changes to the structure to improve their accessibility. The concise layout of the Standards will ensure ease of understanding, particularly for service users and carers. However registrants should be assured that the content remains consistent.

Elaine Buckley, Council Chair of the HCPC, said: “We have produced revised Standards of conduct, performance and ethics to ensure that they continue to be fit for purpose and up-to-date. We developed the revised Standards through a broad range of activities with employers, partners, registrants and service users and carers, along with the formation of a Professional Liaison Group (PLG) and a public consultation.”

To download the revised Standards of conduct, performance and ethics visit http://www.hcpc-uk.org/publications/standards/index.asp?id=38. The revised Standards of conduct, performance and ethics will be posted to every HCPC registrant in the coming weeks.

The HCPC will be holding a live broadcast of its ‘What you need to know’ event at 10am on Tuesday 2 February 2016. If you want to register to watch the live broadcast of this event please email events@hcpc-uk.org

Published 8th February, 2016