Healthcare professional Membership

A healthcare professional is someone who is qualified to provide advice, care and/or treatment to patients. Some examples of job roles that come under the healthcare professional umbrella include nurses, midwives, paramedics, healthcare technicians, occupational therapists, and pharmacists. All pharmacy practitioners are classed as healthcare professionals.

As a healthcare professional, you may work in a number of disciplines, from critical care to diabetes and from care of older people to education and development.

There are different routes to becoming a healthcare professional in the UK, depending on the specific position you’re interested in pursuing. Many healthcare professions require a university degree, which typically includes a work placement in a clinical setting to provide real-world experience. Some medical professions require a specific degree, but others will accept a high grade in a relevant health or science-related subject. 

It can take years to become a qualified healthcare professional, but you’ll be gaining on-the-job experience, building on your skills, and working alongside patients throughout your training. Some healthcare jobs also require you to spend time working as a trainee or junior before you become fully qualified.

Part of becoming a healthcare professional is also getting registered with the right professional body or regulator, such as the General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), or the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Joining a supportive healthcare professional network such as UKCPA as you embark on your career means you can access support and guidance throughout your whole professional journey.

Core competencies for healthcare professionals

Every healthcare professional in the UK must be able to demonstrate the 6 Cs, which are fundamental to delivering a high standard of care. These essential attributes of a healthcare professional are:

• Care: a healthcare professional must be committed to delivering high-quality care to patients.
• Compassion: all care must be delivered with respect, empathy and dignity.
• Competence: to have the ability to understand an individual’s health and social needs, and to have the expertise, clinical and technical knowledge to deliver effective care and treatments based on research and evidence. UKCPA membership can help healthcare professionals keep their medicines knowledge up-to-date.
• Communication: the day-to-day role of a healthcare professional requires strong listening and clear communication skills. Those from overseas must pass an approved English language test to an acceptable standard.
• Courage: this is one of the most important responsibilities of healthcare professionals, who must speak up when they have concerns. It’s also essential to embrace new ways of doing things to support the best outcomes for patients.
• Commitment: every health and social care worker needs to be committed to improving care for patients, and facing the key challenges for healthcare professionals head on.

The role of a healthcare professional can vary significantly depending on the exact position. However, there are some key roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals that the majority of people working in this sector will share. These include:

• Identifying and diagnosing illness or injury
• Delivering patient care 
• Monitoring patients’ vital signs
• Communicating results to patients
• Advising patients on disease prevention, and other aspects of health and wellbeing
• Dispensing medication
• Administrative tasks

Join UKCPA as a healthcare professional today to get unlimited access to educational resources, clinical communities, and networking events to support your career for less than £3 a week.