Compliance Management for Physiotherapy
Meet HCPC and CQC requirements with digital compliance tools designed for physiotherapy practices.
The Challenge
Physiotherapy practices face HCPC audit selection requiring organized CPD portfolios, must maintain equipment safety for electrotherapy and rehabilitation devices, conduct clinical effectiveness audits, and demonstrate evidence-based practice whilst delivering high-volume patient care. Between equipment safety checks, CPD documentation, clinical outcome measurement, patient safety incident reporting, and maintaining professional indemnity and registration, physiotherapists and clinic managers struggle to organize compliance evidence whilst focusing on clinical excellence and rehabilitation outcomes.
How Assistant Manager Solves Physiotherapy Compliance
Each module is designed to address the specific challenges physiotherapy businesses face every day.
Equipment Tracking & Maintenance
Physiotherapy practices use electrical medical devices and mechanical rehabilitation equipment that must be maintained to manufacturer and regulatory standards to ensure patient safety and clinical effectiveness
The Problems
Why This Matters for Physiotherapy
- Electrotherapy equipment like ultrasound, TENS, interferential, and laser devices require PAT testing and calibration, but tracking maintenance across multiple treatment rooms is done on spreadsheets with no reminders
Equipment is used beyond PAT test dates or with overdue calibration, and when patient incidents occur, investigation reveals equipment was not maintained to manufacturer specifications
- Rehabilitation equipment including treadmills, exercise bikes, and resistance equipment needs safety inspections, but there is no systematic recording of which equipment was checked when or by whom
Patient injury occurs on faulty equipment, HSE investigation discovers no maintenance schedule was in place, and you cannot demonstrate equipment was safe for patient use
The Solution
How Equipment Tracking & Maintenance Helps
Complete clinical equipment register with PAT testing scheduling, calibration tracking, equipment-specific maintenance history, safety inspection recording, and 90-day advance reminders before testing due
Every piece of electrotherapy and rehabilitation equipment has scheduled maintenance with automatic alerts, equipment downtime is recorded for incident traceability, and multi-clinic practices see compliance across all locations
Use Cases:
- • Electrotherapy equipment PAT testing and calibration (ultrasound, TENS, IFT, laser)
- • Rehabilitation equipment safety inspection schedules
- • Treadmill and exercise equipment maintenance tracking
- • Treatment couch and plinth safety checks
- • Manual therapy equipment (mobilization belts, traction devices)
- • Hydrotherapy pool equipment maintenance
- • Clinical thermometer and measurement device calibration
- • Equipment user training and competency documentation
Feature Screenshot
Equipment Tracking & Maintenance
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Electrotherapy equipment like ultrasound, TENS, interferential, and laser devices require PAT testing and calibration, but tracking maintenance across multiple treatment rooms is done on spreadsheets with no reminders
Real Scenario
"A patient reports skin irritation after ultrasound therapy. Investigation reveals the ultrasound unit has not had PAT testing for 18 months and manufacturer-recommended calibration was overdue by eight months."
Example 2: Rehabilitation equipment including treadmills, exercise bikes, and resistance equipment needs safety inspections, but there is no systematic recording of which equipment was checked when or by whom
Real Scenario
"A patient falls from a treadmill due to emergency stop button failure. Your clinic has no record of safety checks on that treadmill for the past 12 months, and HSE enforcement action follows."
Training & Development
Physiotherapy practices must maintain detailed CPD records for HCPC-registered practitioners with evidence readily available for audit selection, plus specialist competency verification for advanced treatments
The Problems
Why This Matters for Physiotherapy
- Physiotherapists selected for HCPC CPD audit need organized portfolios showing learning activities, reflection, and impact on practice, but evidence is scattered across paper certificates, notes, and digital files
HCPC audit deadline approaches and physiotherapists scramble to recall CPD from the past two years, recreate reflections retrospectively, and struggle to demonstrate practice impact
- Specialist skills like acupuncture, manual therapy techniques, sports rehabilitation, or pediatric physiotherapy require specific training and competency maintenance, but records of who holds what competencies are informal
Patients are allocated to physiotherapists who lack current competency for specialist treatments, leading to poor outcomes, complaints, and potential professional practice concerns
The Solution
How Training & Development Helps
Learning management system with HCPC CPD portfolio support, activity logging with reflective practice documentation, impact-on-practice recording, specialist competency tracking, and audit-ready portfolio export
Physiotherapists build HCPC audit evidence throughout the year with structured portfolios, specialist service competencies are tracked centrally, and clinic managers allocate patients based on verified competencies
Use Cases:
- • HCPC CPD portfolio documentation with reflection and practice impact
- • Specialist skills competency tracking (acupuncture, manual therapy, sports rehab)
- • Clinical supervision and mentoring documentation
- • Equipment-specific training (electrotherapy, taping, mobilization techniques)
- • Safeguarding and patient safety training
- • Manual handling and ergonomics training for physiotherapists
- • Clinical outcome measurement training
- • New graduate preceptorship and competency development
Feature Screenshot
Training & Development
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Physiotherapists selected for HCPC CPD audit need organized portfolios showing learning activities, reflection, and impact on practice, but evidence is scattered across paper certificates, notes, and digital files
Real Scenario
"A physiotherapist receives HCPC audit selection. She has attended excellent CPD but has no organized portfolio - certificates are in desk drawers, online learning is on multiple platforms, and she cannot recall reflections from activities 18 months ago."
Example 2: Specialist skills like acupuncture, manual therapy techniques, sports rehabilitation, or pediatric physiotherapy require specific training and competency maintenance, but records of who holds what competencies are informal
Real Scenario
"A patient books sports massage and acupuncture. The appointment is with a physiotherapist who completed basic acupuncture training four years ago but has not maintained competency or updated training. The patient is dissatisfied with treatment quality."
Checklist Management
Physiotherapy practices need treatment room, equipment, and hydrotherapy checks completed reliably to ensure patient safety and infection control compliance without disrupting clinical schedules
The Problems
Why This Matters for Physiotherapy
- Treatment rooms require daily cleaning and infection control verification, electrotherapy equipment needs pre-use safety checks, and emergency equipment must be checked regularly, but busy clinic schedules mean checks are inconsistent
Infection control audits reveal gaps in cleaning verification, equipment incidents occur because pre-use checks were not completed, and emergency equipment is discovered to be expired or non-functional
- Hydrotherapy pools require multiple daily water quality checks, temperature monitoring, and chemical testing, but paper logs get wet and damaged, and evening checks are sometimes forgotten when the clinic is busy
Water quality incidents occur affecting patient safety, and your records cannot demonstrate continuous monitoring, potentially requiring pool closure and patient treatment disruption
The Solution
How Checklist Management Helps
Digital checklists with scheduled tasks, photo evidence requirements, real-time completion tracking, hydrotherapy pool monitoring with automatic water quality alerts, and escalation when critical checks are missed
Treatment rooms are verified clean between patients with digital records, equipment pre-use checks happen systematically, hydrotherapy monitoring is continuous with instant alerts, and managers see compliance in real-time
Use Cases:
- • Daily treatment room cleaning verification between patients
- • Electrotherapy equipment pre-use safety checks
- • Hydrotherapy pool water quality monitoring (temperature, pH, chlorine)
- • Emergency equipment checks (first aid, emergency oxygen, defibrillator)
- • Weekly infection control audit of treatment areas
- • Monthly controlled drug cabinet security checks (if holding emergency meds)
- • Exercise equipment pre-session safety verification
- • Reception and waiting area infection control checks
Feature Screenshot
Checklist Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Treatment rooms require daily cleaning and infection control verification, electrotherapy equipment needs pre-use safety checks, and emergency equipment must be checked regularly, but busy clinic schedules mean checks are inconsistent
Real Scenario
"CQC inspection asks for cleaning records for treatment couches and equipment. Your staff say they clean after every patient but have no systematic documentation - verbal assurances are not sufficient evidence."
Example 2: Hydrotherapy pools require multiple daily water quality checks, temperature monitoring, and chemical testing, but paper logs get wet and damaged, and evening checks are sometimes forgotten when the clinic is busy
Real Scenario
"A patient develops a skin reaction after hydrotherapy. Investigation of water quality records shows gaps where evening pH checks were not recorded for three consecutive days before the incident."
Risk Assessment
Physiotherapy practices need risk assessments covering manual therapy techniques, electrotherapy safety, exercise prescription risks, and manual handling, with reviews when new treatments or patient populations are introduced
The Problems
Why This Matters for Physiotherapy
- Clinical treatment risk assessments for manual therapy, electrotherapy, and exercise prescription are completed once and filed, never reviewed even when patient incidents suggest additional contraindications or safety factors
Treatment protocols fail to account for emerging patient safety risks, and when incidents occur, investigation reveals risk assessments were outdated and did not reflect current evidence
- Manual handling risk assessments for assisting patients with mobility difficulties or treating bariatric patients are generic and not updated when individual patient needs change
Physiotherapist suffers back injury assisting a patient, investigation reveals manual handling risk assessment did not account for patient-specific factors like cognitive impairment or balance deficits
The Solution
How Risk Assessment Helps
Comprehensive risk assessment system with treatment-specific hazard identification, patient-specific risk factors, equipment safety assessment, automatic review scheduling when incidents occur, and version history tracking
Every treatment approach has up-to-date risk assessment, patient-specific factors are documented before treatment, and automatic reminders trigger reviews when adverse events or near-misses occur
Use Cases:
- • Manual therapy and mobilization technique risk assessment
- • Electrotherapy treatment risk assessment (contraindications, precautions)
- • Exercise prescription risk assessment for clinical populations
- • Manual handling risk assessment (patient transfers, gait retraining, falls prevention)
- • Hydrotherapy treatment risk assessment
- • Home visit and domiciliary treatment risk assessment
- • Sports physiotherapy and return-to-sport risk assessment
- • Acupuncture and dry needling safety risk assessment
Feature Screenshot
Risk Assessment
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Clinical treatment risk assessments for manual therapy, electrotherapy, and exercise prescription are completed once and filed, never reviewed even when patient incidents suggest additional contraindications or safety factors
Real Scenario
"Your clinic starts treating post-COVID rehabilitation patients but clinical risk assessments still reflect pre-pandemic patient profiles. A patient with long COVID has adverse reaction to exercise intensity your risk assessment never considered."
Example 2: Manual handling risk assessments for assisting patients with mobility difficulties or treating bariatric patients are generic and not updated when individual patient needs change
Real Scenario
"A physiotherapist injures her back during gait retraining with a stroke patient. Your manual handling assessment covered generic patient transfers but not the specific challenges of treating patients with hemiplegia and unpredictable movement."
Accident & Incident Records
Physiotherapy practices need incident reporting that captures clinical detail, supports professional practice reviews, protects staff wellbeing, and provides evidence of learning culture for HCPC and CQC
The Problems
Why This Matters for Physiotherapy
- Adverse treatment events like increased pain, equipment-related injuries, or unexpected patient reactions are recorded informally or discussed verbally but not systematically documented with investigation
Patterns of treatment-related incidents go unrecognized, and when complaints or professional practice concerns arise, there is no evidence of incident monitoring or learning
- Staff injuries including manual handling injuries, needlestick incidents, or exposure to bodily fluids are reported to line managers but documentation is inconsistent and RIDDOR reportability is not systematically assessed
RIDDOR-reportable injuries are not notified to HSE appropriately, occupational health trends are not identified, and duty of care to staff is not demonstrated
The Solution
How Accident & Incident Records Helps
Digital incident reporting with clinical incident categorization, equipment failure documentation, RIDDOR determination, patient and staff injury recording, investigation tracking, and pattern analysis
Every clinical incident is documented with structured investigation, staff injuries trigger automatic RIDDOR assessment, and trend analysis identifies treatment techniques or equipment requiring review
Use Cases:
- • Clinical incident reporting (adverse treatment reactions, increased pain, treatment complications)
- • Equipment-related patient injury documentation
- • Patient falls and accidents during treatment
- • Staff injury reporting (manual handling injuries, needlestick, exposure to bodily fluids)
- • RIDDOR determination and HSE notification
- • Patient complaint investigation with root cause analysis
- • Near-miss reporting and learning from close calls
- • Data breach and confidentiality incident recording
Feature Screenshot
Accident & Incident Records
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Adverse treatment events like increased pain, equipment-related injuries, or unexpected patient reactions are recorded informally or discussed verbally but not systematically documented with investigation
Real Scenario
"Three patients report increased pain following similar manual therapy technique over two months. Incidents were discussed in clinical supervision but never formally recorded, so the pattern was not identified or technique reviewed."
Example 2: Staff injuries including manual handling injuries, needlestick incidents, or exposure to bodily fluids are reported to line managers but documentation is inconsistent and RIDDOR reportability is not systematically assessed
Real Scenario
"A physiotherapist suffers significant back injury requiring four weeks off work. The injury is RIDDOR-reportable but nobody determines reportability criteria and HSE notification is never made."
HR Management
Physiotherapy practices must verify professional credentials continuously - HCPC registration, indemnity, DBS - with instant access during CQC inspection and for professional practice investigations
The Problems
Why This Matters for Physiotherapy
- HCPC registration status for physiotherapists is checked at employment but not monitored continuously, with no alerts when registration issues arise or professional indemnity lapses
Physiotherapists work without current HCPC registration or indemnity insurance, invalidating clinical treatment and creating serious professional practice and insurance risks
- DBS checks and occupational health clearances for staff working with vulnerable patients are stored in paper files with no systematic renewal tracking or health surveillance monitoring
Staff work beyond DBS validity, occupational health restrictions are not known to managers allocating patients, and duty of care to both staff and patients is not demonstrated
The Solution
How HR Management Helps
Centralized employee records with HCPC registration monitoring, professional indemnity tracking, DBS renewal alerts, occupational health clearance documentation, and 90-day credential expiry notifications
Every physiotherapist has HCPC registration, indemnity, and DBS monitored with automatic alerts before expiry, occupational health restrictions are visible to managers, preventing staff working without current credentials
Use Cases:
- • HCPC registration monitoring with automatic renewal reminders
- • Professional indemnity insurance tracking for all registered physiotherapists
- • DBS check renewal reminders at 3-yearly intervals
- • Occupational health clearance and manual handling restrictions documentation
- • Hepatitis B immunity verification for staff exposed to blood/body fluids
- • Right-to-work verification and visa expiry tracking
- • Emergency contact details for workplace incidents
- • Locum physiotherapist credential verification before shifts
Feature Screenshot
HR Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: HCPC registration status for physiotherapists is checked at employment but not monitored continuously, with no alerts when registration issues arise or professional indemnity lapses
Real Scenario
"A locum physiotherapist works for six weeks before clinic manager discovers her HCPC registration lapsed three months ago due to unpaid CPD shortfall. All treatments during that period have questionable professional validity."
Example 2: DBS checks and occupational health clearances for staff working with vulnerable patients are stored in paper files with no systematic renewal tracking or health surveillance monitoring
Real Scenario
"CQC inspection asks to verify DBS checks for all staff treating children and vulnerable adults. Two physiotherapy assistants have DBS checks from 2019 never renewed despite clinic policy requiring 3-yearly renewals."
Results Physiotherapy Businesses Achieve
Other Healthcare Solutions
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