Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) has a 50 year history since its inception when the first personnel manager roles were created in the UK health sector. Previously to that, personnel was part of the general administration function.
The first meeting in Lichfield of what was then called the National Association of Health Service Personnel Officers (NAHSPO) was in 1974 when colleagues gathered together to compare share experience, develop their skills and discuss how they could improve the health of the nation through good HR practices.
The organisation has been through several chapters during its history, including three name changes.
The organisation was renamed Association of Healthcare HR Management (AHHRM) in 1994 and renamed as Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) in 2005. Most importantly, HPMA has always been about HR professionals, coming together to listen, learn, share ideas and challenges, and doing so to improve the quality of our health and care services, thereby improving the lives of people across the UK.
HPMA became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) a couple of years ago and has been through a period of embedding new governance arrangements, defining HPMA’s vision and strategy, and undertaking a transformation of the operational activities, appointing its first Executive Director in July 2017.
