Paramedic CPD: HCPC Requirements and How to Record It
HCPC-registered paramedics must keep CPD, but there is no set number of hours. Here is what the HCPC requires, how the audit works and what to put in your record.
Paramedics registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) must keep up their continuing professional development (CPD), but the HCPC does not set a number of hours. According to the HCPC, you need a continuous record of varied learning that is relevant to your practice, that improves the quality of your work and that benefits service users. If you are picked at renewal, you submit a written profile with evidence. This guide covers HCPC-registered paramedics across the UK. Paramedics regulated in Ireland by PHECC follow a different system, so do not mix the two.
What the HCPC requires from paramedic CPD
The HCPC's guidance on CPD and your registration sets out five standards. In plain English, they say this:
| Standard | What it asks of you |
|---|---|
| 1 | Keep a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of your CPD activities |
| 2 | Show that your CPD is a mixture of learning activities relevant to your current or future practice |
| 3 | Seek to ensure your CPD has contributed to the quality of your practice and service delivery |
| 4 | Seek to ensure your CPD benefits the service user |
| 5 | If asked, present a written profile, which must be your own work and supported by evidence |
The HCPC's Standards of conduct, performance and ethics back this up. The current edition took effect on 1 September 2024. Standard 3.4 says you must keep your knowledge and skills up to date and relevant to your scope of practice, through continuing professional development.
Is there a set number of CPD hours for paramedics?
No. The HCPC states: "We do not set a number of hours or points that you have to complete." It describes CPD as being about quality, not quantity. What counts is that your activities are varied, relevant and useful, and that you can show what you learnt and who benefited.
The HCPC also does not prescribe a format for your record. Its guidance says it is your personal record and you can keep it in whatever way is most convenient. Paper or electronic both work, as long as you can get at it if you are selected for audit.
What activities count as CPD?
The HCPC groups CPD into four categories and expects you to carry out at least two different types of activity. It gives the example that someone who had only read professional journals would not meet the standard.
| Category | HCPC examples | What it could look like for a paramedic |
|---|---|---|
| Work-based learning | Learning by doing, case studies, reflective practice, peer review, supervising staff or students | Reflecting on a challenging job, a debrief with a crewmate, supporting a student on placement |
| Professional activity | Lecturing or teaching, mentoring, giving presentations | Teaching a skills session, mentoring a newly qualified colleague |
| Formal education | Courses, further education, research, attending conferences | A clinical course, a conference, a postgraduate module |
| Self-directed learning | Reading journals or articles, reviewing books or articles, keeping a file of your progress | Reading new guidance and noting what you changed as a result |
The right-hand column is our illustration, not an HCPC list. The HCPC also lists relevant public service or voluntary work under "other".
Does employer mandatory training count? The HCPC does not single it out. Its test is that any activity from which you learn or develop professionally can be eligible, and that your CPD should be effective, relevant and benefit the service user. If a mandatory session changed what you do, you can record it and explain how.
When do paramedics renew, and how does the audit work?
HCPC registration renews every two years, with a professional declaration and a fee. According to the HCPC's "when to renew" page, the paramedic renewal window opens on 1 June 2027 and closes on 31 August 2027. Check your own HCPC account for your dates.
At the start of each renewal, the HCPC randomly selects 2.5 per cent of each profession and asks them to submit a CPD profile. Key points from the HCPC:
- Only registrants who have been registered for two years or more are audited, so newly qualified paramedics are not picked at their first renewal.
- Selection is random, so you could be picked more than once.
- If selected, you renew as normal and submit your profile by your renewal deadline. The HCPC's guidance says you get about three months and a reminder about a month before the deadline.
- Assessors review the profile against the standards. The outcome is that it meets them, that more information is requested, or that it does not meet them.
- If a profile does not meet the standards, assessors may allow up to an extra three months to fix it. Otherwise you may be removed from the Register. You can appeal, and you stay registered while an appeal is pending.
- You can ask to defer for unavoidable circumstances such as serious illness, bereavement or maternity leave. A deferred registrant is audited automatically at the profession's next renewal.
The HCPC publishes audit results by profession. For paramedics in the 2021 to 2023 renewal cycle, 653 were asked to present a profile:
| Outcome | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted | 525 | 80.4% |
| Deferred | 81 | 12.4% |
| Did not renew | 20 | 3.1% |
| Voluntary deregistration | 20 | 3.1% |
| Removed for not meeting the CPD standards | 4 | 0.6% |
| Still awaiting outcome | 3 | 0.4% |
These are the most recent paramedic figures on the HCPC's CPD audit data page at the time of writing. Most selected paramedics were accepted, and very few were removed.
What goes in a paramedic's CPD profile?
According to the HCPC, the profile has four parts:
- Summary of recent work: up to 500 words on your role, main responsibilities, specialist areas and the people you work with.
- Dated list of CPD activities: everything since your last renewal. Explain any gap of three or more consecutive months.
- Personal statement: up to 1,500 words on how your CPD improved the quality of your work and benefited service users. The HCPC suggests picking activities from the last two years and explaining what you did, what you learnt, what you now do differently and who benefited.
- Supporting evidence: upload evidence only for the activities you discuss in the statement.
The HCPC's tips for the profile include writing in the first person, numbering your evidence and removing identifiable service user information such as names and addresses. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our guide to preparing for an HCPC CPD audit and what to submit.
Support from the College of Paramedics
The HCPC is the regulator that sets the CPD standards. The College of Paramedics is separate and offers resources to its members. According to the College:
- Its CPD Hub is a free members' resource with over 400 videos. Members can watch a video, complete a short reflection and add it to their Member Hub page to build a CPD portfolio.
- Members can also keep a CPD record by uploading evidence under "Self Submitted CPD" in the CPD tab of the member hub.
- An e-booklet on preparing and maintaining a CPD portfolio and meeting the HCPC standards is available. The version we found is dated November 2020, so read it alongside the HCPC's current guidance.
- Its Paramedic Career Framework covers four pillars: leadership and management, education, research and development, and clinical practice. It can help you plan which areas to build on.
These tools are useful for recording and planning, but they do not replace the HCPC's own standards. The College's pages do not say that using them guarantees an audit pass.
A simple routine that keeps you audit-ready
- Log each activity soon after you do it, with the date and a line on what you learnt.
- Mix at least two types of activity across a cycle.
- Note what changed in your practice and who benefited, not just what you attended.
- Save evidence as you go, such as certificates, reflective notes or feedback, without service user details.
You can find more general CPD guidance on our CPD hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many CPD hours do paramedics need?
The HCPC sets no number of hours or points. It looks at the outcomes of your learning instead.
Can I be audited at my first renewal after qualifying?
No. The HCPC says it only audits registrants who have been registered for two years or more.
What if I was on maternity leave or off sick?
You can ask to defer the audit for unavoidable circumstances. If you are not deferring, explain gaps of three months or more in your dated list and focus on the CPD you did complete.
Does the HCPC require a particular CPD format or provider?
The HCPC does not prescribe a format for your record. What matters is that it is accurate, continuous and supported by evidence.
Is this the same as paramedic CPD in Ireland?
No. This guide covers HCPC registration in the UK. Paramedics registered with PHECC in Ireland have a separate framework.
In short
Keep a running record, vary what you do, and write down what changed for patients and for you. That habit covers all five HCPC standards, and it makes an audit request a matter of tidying up, not starting from scratch.
This article is general information, not regulatory or professional advice. Always check current requirements with the HCPC and your employer.
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