CPD in Healthcare

Continuing Professional Development - the ongoing learning activities healthcare professionals must complete to maintain their registration, competence, and fitness to practise.

Short answer

CPD in Healthcare refers to the ongoing learning registered health professionals must do to stay on their regulator's register. Each regulator sets its own rules. NMC nurses need 35 hours over each three-year cycle, and at least 20 of those must be participatory. HCPC registrants keep a CPD record that the regulator may audit.

In practice, professionals own their CPD, but employers track it next to mandatory training. A nurse who can't show 35 hours may be unable to revalidate. Gaps tend to surface a few weeks before the deadline, when there's little time left to catch up.

Reviewed by ExpiryEdge Editorial Team · Updated Oct 2026

Quick Reference

NMC (nurses)

35 CPD hours per 3-year cycle; 20+ must be participatory

GMC (doctors)

Evidenced in annual appraisal; no fixed hour requirement but significant evidence expected

HCPC (allied health)

Ongoing CPD required; random audit of 2.5% of registrants at renewal

GPhC (pharmacy)

CPD records submitted annually

Employer role

Provide CPD opportunities; verify completion as part of governance

What is a CPD in Healthcare?

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in healthcare refers to the ongoing learning activities that registered healthcare professionals must complete to maintain and improve their skills, knowledge, and competence. CPD is a requirement for maintaining professional registration with bodies including the NMC, GMC, GPhC, HCPC, and GDC.

CPD requirements vary by regulator and profession. NMC-registered nurses must complete 35 hours of CPD per 3-year revalidation cycle (of which at least 20 hours must be participatory learning). HCPC-registered professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paramedics, etc.) must demonstrate ongoing CPD to maintain their registration and may be audited. GMC-registered doctors engage in annual appraisals that review their CPD activities as part of the revalidation process.

For employers, CPD tracking has two dimensions: ensuring staff meet their professional registration requirements, and ensuring the organisation has a trained, competent workforce. Mandatory training (fire safety, manual handling, infection control, safeguarding) overlaps with but is distinct from professional CPD.

What Happens If It's Missed?

A nurse who cannot demonstrate 35 hours of CPD at revalidation will have their renewal rejected by the NMC. An HCPC registrant selected for CPD audit who cannot demonstrate appropriate learning may have their registration refused. Both outcomes mean the professional cannot legally practise. For employers, staff with gaps in CPD records are a liability both at CQC inspection (under "Effective") and in the event of a clinical incident where competency is questioned.

How Healthcare Providers Manage This

Healthcare employers track mandatory and statutory training (MAST) completion through learning management systems (LMS). Professional CPD is tracked separately - and often inconsistently. Organisations that link CPD completion to registration renewal dates and build in advance alerts are better prepared for both CQC inspection and professional registration renewal.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Any learning activity that contributes to the knowledge, skills, and development needed for your nursing practice. This includes: formal courses, conferences, e-learning, reading research, clinical supervision, peer learning, and reflecting on practice. 20 of the 35 required hours must be "participatory" - learning with or from other people.

Not exactly. Mandatory training (e.g., fire safety, manual handling, infection control) is required by the employer for all staff. Professional CPD is required by the regulatory body for registered professionals. Some mandatory training can count as CPD if it relates to the professional's practice - but not all mandatory training qualifies, and mandatory training alone is unlikely to meet CPD requirements.

Participatory learning is CPD where you interact with at least one other professional. A workshop, a conference or a group case review all count. Nurses and midwives need at least 20 participatory hours within their 35 CPD hours per cycle. Reading on your own, or solo e-learning with no interaction, doesn't count toward those 20.

They must send the HCPC a CPD profile showing how their learning meets its standards. The HCPC picks a random sample from each profession when their registration comes up for renewal. If the person doesn't send the profile, or it falls short of the standards, their registration can be affected. That's why a current record matters.