Press Release

Health Professions Council (HPC) responds to Government plans for UK healthcare regulation.   

10 November 2006

HPC Chief Executive, Marc Seale said “We welcome the opportunity to respond to the Department of Health’s review and agree with many of the recommendations, particularly those around the regulation of new groups, the appointment of Council members, and the emphasis the report has placed on the role of regulation in protecting the public.”

“We see many of the proposals in the report as an endorsement of our current practices, particularly the areas of lay representation, accountability to Parliament, our approach to witness protection and the adoption of civil standards of proof.”

The HPC’s response to the consultation is wide ranging, but emphasises the need to further test the case for revalidation, particularly the potential cost to health professionals whether it could offer additional public protection, and the need for healthcare regulation to take account of the significant number of health professionals working outside the NHS. In addition, the HPC is recommending that statutory regulation would be useful for other groups of healthcare support workers, including for example emergency medical technicians and assistant practitioners.

The HPC’s response further highlights that health professionals are increasingly working in multi-disciplinary teams and emphasises the importance of consistent, targeted, UK-wide, risk based and proportionate healthcare regulation.  An approach which the HPC believes would be welcomed by employers, members of the public and professionals themselves.

Marc Seale continued “We believe we are leading the way in delivering an effective model of healthcare regulation and will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and other stakeholders to ensure that our role in protecting the public continues to be strengthened and recognised.”