IICMP CEO, Karen Dobbyn, elected Vice Chair of the HSCPA

The IICMP is pleased to share that Chief Executive Officer, Karen Dobbyn, was recently elected as Vice Chair of the Health and Social Care Professions Alliance (HSCPA) at the Alliance’s Annual General Meeting.

The HSCPA is a coalition of professional bodies representing more than 40,000 health and social care professionals across Ireland. The Alliance provides a strong collective voice on issues affecting the health and social care professions and works collaboratively to influence national policy, workforce planning, education and professional development.

The IICMP has been a member of the HSCPA for over 10 years and continues to play an active role in supporting the work of the Alliance. In addition to Karen’s appointment as Vice Chair, the Institute is also represented by Ciara Bergen, Chair of the Neurophysiology Executive and IICMP Board Member, who serves as an IICMP representative on the Alliance.

Karen’s election as Vice Chair reflects the increasing recognition of Clinical Measurement Physiology within the wider health and social care community and provides an important opportunity to ensure that the profession’s voice is represented at a national level.

During the AGM, the Alliance agreed a number of strategic priorities for 2026/27, including:

• Advocate for the regulation by CORU of the nine HSCPA member professions that are not currently subject to statutory regulation.
• Seek clarification on the outcome of the Proportionality Test/Directive process and its implications for the professions concerned.
• Meet with the Directors of Health and Social Care Professions in each Regional Executive Office (REO).
• Meet with the Minister for Health (following the previous meeting in August 2025).
• Meet with the Chief Nursing Officer in the Department of Health, who is currently undertaking responsibility for Health and Social Care Professions while the Chief Health and Social Care Professions Officer is on leave.
• Seek the establishment of a National Implementation Group for Health and Social Care Professions clinical placements.

These priorities will provide important opportunities for the Alliance to advocate collectively on behalf of the health and social care professions, influence national policy, and progress issues of strategic importance across the sector.

Many of these priorities align closely with the IICMP’s own strategic objectives, particularly in relation to professional recognition, statutory regulation, education, workforce development and ensuring that the voice of Clinical Measurement Physiologists continues to be represented at a national level.

The IICMP is proud to work alongside colleagues from across the health and social care professions through the HSCPA and looks forward to continuing to contribute to national discussions that support the advancement of Clinical Measurement Physiology and the wider health and social care sector.