HCPC registration for allied health professionals — answered
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is the UK statutory regulator for 15 allied health and care professions — including physiotherapists, radiographers, paramedics, dietitians and occupational therapists. Internationally-qualified professionals register through the international application route, which assesses equivalence to UK standards. These are plain-English answers, each cited to the HCPC’s own pages. Reviewed July 2026.
Quick answer
- Regulator
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) — 15 professions with protected titles.
- Route
- International application — the HCPC assesses whether your overseas training meets UK standards of proficiency.
- English evidence
- IELTS Academic 7.0 overall (min 6.5 each) or OET Grade B, unless exempt.
- NHS starting pay
- Band 5 — about £29,970–£36,483 full-time (England, 2024/25).
HCPC registration — frequently asked questions
What is the HCPC and which professions does it regulate?
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is the UK statutory regulator for 15 allied health and care professions, including physiotherapists, radiographers, paramedics, dietitians, occupational therapists, biomedical scientists and speech and language therapists. These are protected titles — using them or practising without registration is a criminal offence.
How does an internationally-qualified professional register with the HCPC?
Through the HCPC international application route. The HCPC assesses whether your overseas education and experience meet the UK standards of proficiency for your specific profession, alongside evidence of your English-language ability, health and character. If your training is assessed as not fully equivalent, you may be asked to provide additional evidence or undertake further study.
What English-language evidence does the HCPC require?
The HCPC accepts IELTS Academic with 7.0 overall and a minimum of 6.5 in each section, or OET Grade B, unless you meet a specific exemption. Confirm the current accepted tests and scores on the HCPC website before you apply.
How much does HCPC international registration cost?
The HCPC charges an international application (scrutiny) fee and, once registered, a periodic renewal fee, on top of the English test, document translation and any further study. Each current figure is on the HCPC fees page — check it directly rather than relying on an older total.
What do allied health professionals earn in the NHS?
Newly-registered physiotherapists, radiographers, paramedics and other allied health professionals in England usually start on Agenda for Change Band 5 (about £29,970–£36,483 full-time, 2024/25), moving to Band 6 and Band 7 with specialism and experience. Pay is set nationally and revised annually; confirm the current figure with NHS Employers.
Which allied health professions are in most demand in the NHS?
Demand varies over time and by region. Rather than rely on a marketing claim, check the official NHS vacancy data and the shortage-occupation information the Government publishes. GeraClinic does not advertise specific vacancies and does not actively recruit.
Is GeraClinic recruiting for the NHS or acting as an agency?
No. GeraClinic is a telemedicine platform, not a recruitment agency. These answer hubs are general educational information for people who independently want to understand the UK registration pathway. GeraClinic does not recruit, sponsor, place or supply staff to the NHS, does not advertise specific vacancies, and never charges an applicant a fee.
Go deeper — allied health guides
Sources & further reading
These are the primary, official sources for everything on this page. Where figures appear, confirm the current value at the source before relying on it.
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
UK statutory regulator for 15 allied health and care professions, including physiotherapists, radiographers, paramedics, dietitians and occupational therapists.
- HCPC — International applications
The assessment route by which professionals qualified outside the UK become registered.
- HCPC — English language requirements
Accepted English tests and required scores for HCPC registration.
- NHS Employers — Agenda for Change pay scales 2024/25
National NHS pay bands for England. Newly-registered clinicians typically start at Band 5.
- UK Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel (DHSC)
The ethical-recruitment framework and the red / amber country list that restricts active recruitment from countries with severe workforce shortages.
- WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List 2023
The 55 countries facing the most pressing health-workforce shortages, from which active international recruitment is discouraged.
- GOV.UK — Health and Care Worker visa
The immigration route for eligible medical and social-care roles with a Home Office-licensed sponsor, including the Immigration Health Surcharge exemption for eligible roles.