Alterations to the HCPC threshold qualification level

Following a public consultation last year, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) agreed that the threshold level for paramedics should change from ‘Equivalent to Certificate of Higher Education’ to ‘Bachelor degree with Honours’. It was agreed that this change was necessary to ensure that paramedics in the UK were trained to the depth required for contemporary practice.

This change is about the level of education and training for entry to the profession going forward. This is no criticism of the essential contribution the existing workforce makes, and will continue to make, to patient care.

We have provided guidance on the impact of this change, including a series of FAQs and the flow chart designed for registered paramedics, student paramedics and prospective paramedic students, which is available on the HCPC website.

As the name implies, standards of education and training (SETs) are standards that programmes of education and training must meet before they can be approved. These standards ensure that individuals who complete a programme meet the standards of proficiency for their profession, and are therefore eligible to apply to register with us.