The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) set the standard for continuing professional development (CPD) in the UK. The HCPC were created safeguard the public by regulating and making health professionals accountable through a register. They monitor standards for initial training and education, skills, behaviour, and health. The HCPC currently regulate 14 Allied health professionals including diagnostic radiographers. To remain a registered and therefore employable, it must be demonstrated that …show more content…
There are many government papers which reference long life learning and how it can improve patient care. Working together, learning together: a framework for lifelong learning for the NHS states that lifelong learning is key to developing the NHS and it is a crucial element of successful individual, team and organisational achievement in providing better patient care. Therefore CPD must be a part of the development process of lifelong learning for all professionals (Department of Health 2001). As a result of CPD patients should expect to get better care management. Mulvey (2013) describes a ‘CPD triad’ of employers, professional bodies and the individual professional who all have a vested interest and benefit from CPD. Professional bodies can garner public trust, accountability and quality monitoring. It can demonstrate to the public there is clear clinical governance. Also there will be consequences for the individual as a clear commitment from staff is needed to keep their practice up to date. This is beneficial to patients, who are no longer passive receivers of treatment but are now viewed as consumers entitled to have an independent outlook over their care and this means expectations are much higher (Henwood et al, 1997). It also benefits each NHS trust hospital as an employer; well informed staff with …show more content…
Therefore a motivated and informed workforce, with improved morale could be a benefit of CPD. An increase in motivation and self- confidence in turn helps encourage patient trust in professional practice (Mulvey 2013). Alsop (2013) comments that committing to lifelong learning and CPD could help a health professional to counteract changes in their professions and equip them for new roles within their career or elsewhere. So increased employability is another benefit of CPD. CPD can also improve personal standards of efficiency and performance as there is a professional responsibility to learn and improve services. It can help with making informed choices about future endeavours as well as help with planning and preparing for change as there is an awareness of new techniques, practice and technology (Alsop, 2013). CPD is necessary to be able to use and take advantage of new developments, this especially applies to radiography. Diagnostic imaging is an area of rapid growth in healthcare (Moores,