Citation
(2002), "UK independent regulatory council", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2002.06215dab.007
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited
UK independent regulatory council
UK independent regulatory council
The UK government and regulators have reached agreement on the powers of the proposed new council, which will co-ordinate the work of the regulators of all doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Proposals set out in the NHS Reform and Health-care Professions Bill to establish the new Council for the Regulation of Health-care Professionals have been welcomed by all the regulatory bodies representing all the different health-care professionals, such as the General Medical Council, the General Dental Council and the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
The move follows the Kennedy Report into children's heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, which recommended a clearer framework of regulation, and the commitment in the NHS Plan to establish a UK Council of Health Regulators. Subject to Parliamentary approval the new council would be set up by early 2003. It would have nine members from the professions and ten representing public interests and the NHS.
The new council will act as an over-arching body, which will oversee the individual regulators, but will not get involved in the direct regulation of health-care professionals. Instead, it will ensure consistency in the work of the regulators. As a last resort, it will be able to require a regulator to change its rules in the public interest, provided that both Houses of Parliament agree, but it is expected that the new council will be able to achieve its goals by persuasion and agreement with regulators on any necessary reform.
Following discussions between ministers and representatives of the regulatory bodies, the government has made a number of amendments to the Bill. In particular, changes to the Bill have already made it clear that Whitehall Ministers will not select any of the members of the new council.