Brighton student wins HCPC competition

Huge congratulations to second year Diagnostic Radiography BSc(Hons) student Samehah Chowdhury who has won the 2025 Health and Care Professions Council’s student competition.

The competition asked entrants to design a learning session on speaking up and raising concerns where patient safety and colleagues’ behaviour makes it necessary and was open to students on a HCPC-approved pre-registration programme.  The 2025 competition received a record number of entries with Samehah’s standing out for its ‘strong, clear, and engaging session that successfully meets its objectives’.

The judges feedback on Samehah’s entry said: ‘The session has clear, well-defined learning objectives and effectively addresses each one. It is highly engaging, using varied teaching techniques such as case studies, group work, scenarios, and quizzes. The presentation is creative, combining visuals with interactive activities, and it flows well, enhancing clarity and understanding. Overall, it is a strong, clear, and engaging session that successfully meets its objectives.’

We caught up with Samehah to learn more about the competition.

Why I entered the competition

“As both a student and a member of NHS staff, I am able to understand how difficult it can be at times to raise concerns when something does not feel right. It’s not uncommon to feel hesitant due to worries about potential impacts on career progression or concerns about how you might be perceived as a student in clinical placement after speaking up.

“However, after exploring existing guidance and learning how others have navigated similar situations, I became aware of a gap in awareness around how to raise concerns confidently and professionally. This motivated me to enter the competition and develop a learning focused presentation for students and healthcare professionals.

“My aim was to empower individuals to speak up when something does not feel right appropriately, helping to prevent the escalation of concerns and promote a safer, and more supportive healthcare environment.

“The presentation also highlighted the importance of speaking up, as doing so affects everyone involved, most importantly patient safety and can help prevent concerns from progressing into potentially a disciplinary situation.”

What winning the award means  

“Winning this award is very meaningful to me, as it shows that student voices do matter and plays a vital role in shaping the future of professional healthcare practice. It demonstrates that change can begin at a student level and reinforces the importance of empowering both students and professionals to raise concerns confidently and responsibly.

“I hope this recognition motivates others to also continue speaking up and contributing to a culture of openness and professionalism.” 

The ceremony 

“I travelled to London to collect the award. Attending the event and sitting in on the HCPC board council meeting allowed me to gain an understanding of the organisation’s work and decision-making processes and realise first-hand that the board genuinely value, encourage and actively listen to student and professional perspectives to ensure healthcare practice is evolving.”

You can view Samehah’s winning entry on the HCPC website.

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