When it comes to Continuing Professional Development (CPD), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) sets clear expectations and they matter more than many realise.
The HCPC defines CPD as “the way in which registrants continue to learn and develop throughout their careers so they keep their skills and knowledge up to date and are able to practise safely and effectively.”
That’s not just theory, it’s the foundation of our professional accountability as diagnostic radiographers.
Let’s break down the five HCPC CPD Standards what they actually mean in practice, and how you can meet every one of them confidently.
This is the foundation. You must maintain a continuous, accurate record of all your CPD activities big or small.
In practice, this means:
- Regularly completing and recording CPD (not just once a year)
- Storing evidence safely (digitally or physically)
- Ensuring your record reflects real activities completed
Examples that count:
- Completing an audit or service review
- Giving a short presentation or teaching session
- Recording reflections after webinars or journal reading
How The Radiography People helps:
Our platform automatically generates your certificates and gives you built in reflections. Every course you complete has both the certificate ready for audit submission.
Variety matters.
If you only read professional journals but never participate in workshops, discussions, or practical learning, you won’t meet this standard.
Your CPD should be a blend of learning types formal, informal, clinical, and developmental all relevant to your current or future role.
Examples:
- Completing an online CPD course (formal)
- Mentoring students or junior staff (work-based)
- Reading new IR(ME)R guidance (self-directed)
- Contributing to an audit or quality improvement (professional activity)
Audit tip:
Keep a mix around 40 % structured learning, 30 % work-based, 20 % reflection, 10 % professional contribution to demonstrate breadth and engagement.
Our platform doesn't just give you clinical based courses but further reading from journal articles helping you with a wide range of activities.
The HCPC wants to see impact, not just participation.
Your CPD should clearly improve how you work or deliver patient care.
If selected for audit, you’ll be asked to describe:
- The CPD activities you’ve carried out
- What you learned
- How this learning improved your practice or service delivery
Examples:
- Learning new positioning techniques that reduce repeats
- Gaining confidence in communicating with anxious patients
- Reviewing MRI safety protocols and improving local compliance
Remember: Improvement doesn’t have to be dramatic even a small skill gain or confidence boost counts when properly reflected.
“Service user” doesn’t just mean patients it includes anyone who benefits from your professional role: students, colleagues, managers, and even the wider community.
Your CPD should ultimately benefit others through safer, more effective practice.
Examples:
- Completing a communication course that improves patient interactions
- Developing leadership skills that support your team
- Teaching positioning techniques that enhance student confidence
Reflection prompt: Ask yourself, “Who benefited from my learning, and how?”
This standard only applies if you’re selected for audit. Around 2.5 % of HCPC registrants are chosen randomly every two years.
If selected, you’ll need to submit a CPD profile that includes:
- A summary of your recent practice history
- A record of CPD activities
- Evidence showing how each standard was met
Common evidence includes:
- Certificates and attendance records
- Written reflections
- Audit reports or teaching evaluations
Meeting these five standards doesn’t have to be complicated.
With structured recording, regular learning, and clear reflections, you’ll not only be audit-ready but genuinely growing as a practitioner.
That’s exactly why we built The Radiography People a dedicated CPD platform by radiographers, for radiographers.
With one subscription, you can:
✅ Access new CPD courses each month across MRI, CT, X-ray, Radiation Protection, and Leadership
✅ Log reflections using pre-filled HCPC-aligned templates
✅ Instantly download certificates for every course
✅ Most courses cost more than our annual subscription which gives you access to 20+ and a growing library
Courses are flexible, mobile-friendly, and clinically relevant, featuring interactive cases and real-world scenarios to help you apply learning directly to patient care.
