The Department of Health (DoH) has completed a series of healthcare reforms to strengthen public protection in the regulation of healthcare staff – including nurses, midwives and dentists.

 
The DoH says the reforms represent ‘a significant milestone’ in the government’s efforts to place public safety at the centre of healthcare, by modernising the regulation of healthcare professionals, as set out in the White Paper ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety’.

The reforms include key proposals – each regulator has introduced a fully appointed council, with equal emphasis on the input from lay members and those who are health professionals, with the aim of ensuring professional interests do not dominate.

The Appointments Commission will also independently appoint new council members for the regulators, using specific criteria relating to their skills and expertise.

Smaller, ‘board-like’ councils will add to the ability of the regulators to act ‘strategically’, says the DoH.

Health Minister Ann Keen said:

‘Healthcare professionals work extremely hard to provide high standards of care that patients expect. Regulatory bodies play a vital role in maintaining these standards and ensuring that those few professionals who fall below them are dealt with fairly and firmly. The changes we have introduced will continue to raise professional standards in healthcare – and encourage more transparency and high quality services for patients and the public.’

Chair of the Health Professions Council Anna van der Gaag said:

‘Under the new reforms to healthcare regulatory bodies, we have successfully recruited a council with a strong mix of skills, ability and experience drawn from all parts of the UK.’

Similar measures are to be introduced for the newly established General Pharmaceutical Council, which is expected to be up and running in the next few months.

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