Return to practice process for AHPs

It's the perfect time to return to your AHP career

Wherever life has taken you, you'll have gained valuable transferable skills and life experience. We’d love you to bring these skills back to your profession.  

Re-joining your profession begins with a period of updating. NES has resources to help you navigate back to practice as an AHP. We'll also connect you with other returning AHPs in our Facebook group and offer help and guidance to support your successful return. 

Once your updating period is complete, you can apply to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Once registered, you can begin applying for jobs in your profession.

Eligibility for the AHP return to practice process

You must be a qualified AHP to apply for re-registration with the HCPC and meet one of the following criteria: 

• Previous registration with the HCPC but out of practice for more than 2 years. 
• Registered with the HCPC for more than 2 years but not practised and consider yourself to be out of practice.

In addition, you must not be subject to any fitness-to-practice proceedings with the HCPC. 

If you qualified within the last 5 years, you do not need to complete the return to practice process. 

Find out more about the re-registration process. 

Requirements for AHPs returning to practice

The HCPC defines a returnee to practice as an individual who has not practised for more than 2 years. You may have to update your skills depending on the time since you last practised. 

The requirements for returning to practice are: 

• 2 to 5 years out of practice – 30 days of updating your skills and knowledge 
• 5 or more years out of practice – 60 days of updating your skills and knowledge 

For this process, a day is classed as 7 hours. You'll have 24 months to complete the re-registration process. 

The return to practice process varies between professions. Your professional body will let you know the specific requirements for your profession. View a list of AHP professional bodies. 

Updating your knowledge and skills

You'll manage and design the process of returning to practice using HCPC guidance. Please familiarise yourself with the HCPC requirements for updating your knowledge and skills. You can choose activities that suit your needs and the area where you hope to work.
There are 3 separate ways to update your knowledge and skills:

• Supervised practice - practising under the supervision of a registered practitioner of the same professional group.
• Formal study - structured learning provided by a person or organisation.
• Private study - learning structured by the returnee, including websites, library books and journals.

There are many ways to combine these to complete your return to practice hours. However, it is important to remember that, at most, half your days can be private study.

Find out more about updating your knowledge and skills.