The First HPC 'Smaller Board-Like' Council Meeting, July 09

I've just got back (a bit blustered and slightly damp - flighty July weather) from this morning's new 'Board-Like' HPC Council Meeting. It set me to thinking about reference points. What does a new 'board-like' council do? It is now newly constituted as 19 people, half of whom are 'lay'. From what I heard this morning, Lay largely refers either to NHS managers or University employees.

The Health Professionals Council isn't really a Council of Health Professionals, at least not if today's rather vague comments are anything to go by. It is a Council of professionals who have something to do with health. And if that's still a bit too specific, then 'well being' is what they are really interested in. The Council for Protecting the Public's Well Being from the Proliferation of people who like to think of themselves as Professionals. There, that should just about cover it.

What has caused this little bit of creativity with the title? I suppose it is because the Health Professions Council has just taken 15,000 psychologists under its wing. Psychology - is that really a health profession? Really? No. Not unless you stretch the idea of health to incorporate the psyche, in which case you may as well prepare to regulate the church, hairdressers, mediums, actors, poets, parents, best friends, musicians, and uncle Tom Cobbley and all. The lack of proper bearings allow things to slide all over the place.

Reference points - from what does the Health Professions Council take its bearings? When Michael Guthrie took the hot seat to present his report on the work of the Professional Liaison Group for Counsellors and Psychotherapists he mentioned the Government White Paper (Trust Assurance and Safety) 7 times in the first 3 minutes. This is a major reference point. There was no logic, reason, rationale given other than that, and the white paper does not go to any trouble to justify its decision either. So, one small phrase in this government document is supposed to give the grounds for HPC to take 40,000 counsellors and psychotherapists onto its books.

Michael Guthrie is a young man, perhaps 30, maybe more, who seems a very competent administrator. He can assimilate a lot of information and write a report that includes all the points, presenting conflicting ideas side by side and making it bland enough for nobody to notice what is really going on. I suppose he is also ambitious. This is probably his first time in the driving seat - his predecessor went off on maternity and was not given her job back when she asked to return part time. To get the counsellors and psychotherapists on to the HPC register will be a nice feather in his cap. Fair enough, but not as a major reason for pushing something through as contentious and difficult as this.