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Find out the latest news on all areas of professional regulation, what's new on this site and how NHS Employers is supporting you. NHS Revalidation Support Team13 October 2008 The Department of Health has announced the formation of the NHS Revalidation Support Team (RST) to help with the implementation of revalidation of all doctors in England. The team comprises a panel of senior doctors who will provide professionally informed leadership, support and advice on the design and delivery of local processes and systems. The implementation and roll-out of revalidation will have significant implications for employers. We look forward to working with the RST and others to ensure that the design and delivery of revalidation systems locally fully meets the needs of employers. Further details are available on the NHS Revalidation Support website. For more information please contact sean.king@nhsemployers.org Responsible officer consultation19 September 2008 The Department of Health is currently consulting on the details of the role and function of the Responsible Officer (RO). The Health and Social Care Act 2008 allows ministers to require healthcare organisations to appoint a senior doctor known as a responsible officer with specific duties for monitoring the performance and conduct of doctors under the oversight of the organisation and for liaison with the General Medical Council (GMC) over revalidation and fitness to practise procedures. We are collecting employers views to feed into the DH consultation, please complete our short online questionnaire to have your say. For more detail please visit our responsible officer consultation page. Medical revalidation - principles and next steps23 July 2008 The Department of Health today published 'Medical Revalidation - Principles and Next Steps' a report which outlines proposals requiring doctors to renew their professional registration every five years, in order to provide assurance that they are practising to the standard that patients, the public and the profession itself expect. These proposals will give patients an important role, as they will be asked for views on their doctor. The new arrangements will be supported by the introduction of Responsible Officers, senior doctors in each healthcare organisation who will take responsibility for collating the information needed to support a recommendation on revalidation. The Department of Health has launched a new consultation on Responsible Officers and we will be seeking employers views to feed into this. NHS Employers welcomes this report. Patients and the public should be assured that doctors continue to perform to appropriate quality standards and we believe that revalidation should provide that assurance. We believe it is important to avoid creating an unnecessary burden for doctors and employers and are keen to ensure that the local process for revalidation builds on the existing appraisal systems already in place. A series of pilots are scheduled to begin in 2009 and will be followed by a staged implementation from the spring. We will be working with the Department of Health, the General Medical Council, employers and the profession to devise and implement an effective and practical system that supports doctors while improving the quality of care. Renewing NMC registration of Specialist Community Public Health Nurse2 May 2008 A decision made by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)in December 2007 will affect the way in which specialist community public health nurses (SCPHNs) renew their registration with the NMC. Nurses and midwives now have to maintain their registration as a nurse or midwife in addition to registration as a SCPHN. In 2005 the NMC decided to allow SCPHNs to register on Part 3 of the register only (ie the Health Visitor part) without maintaining registration as a nurse or a midwife on Parts 1 or 2. Concerns were subsequently raised about the legality of this decision, based on the Nursing and Midwifery Order which provides the legislative foundations on which the NMC is established. After some consideration, the NMC decided to reverse that decision and require nurses and midwives to maintain their registration as a nurse or midwife in addition to that of a SCPHN. The NMC has also determined the CPD requirements for SCPHNs renewing their registration. The NMC has said that it will contact all nurses and midwives due for renewal and inform them of the Council's decision. The NMC will also provide support and advice to assist those affected by this decision. More information can be found on the NMC website. Registering dental nurses and dental technicians2 May 2008 Organisations are reminded that registration for dental nurses and dental technicians will be compulsory from 30 July 2008. After this date it will be illegal to use the titles 'dental nurse' or 'dental technician' without being registered with the General Dental Council. Those who don't hold a formal qualification and want to apply on the basis of their experience must register before 30 July 2008. After that, the only way to register will be through holding an approved qualification. More information can be found on the General Dental council website. Consultation on the Medical Profession (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 200821 April 2008 The Department of Health is consulting on the third in a series of draft Orders implementing some of the reforms set out in the white paper on professional regulation Trust, Assurance and Safety. NHS Employers is particularly interested to receive your views on the introduction of Licences to Practise for doctors. More information is available here. New code for the NMC4 March 2008 The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is launching its new code on 7 April. The code is the foundation of good nursing and midwifery practice and a key tool in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the public. The code has been updated to meet the needs of modern nurses and midwives. The code launch will be marked with a number of events held across the UK, including London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Glamorgan. All nurses and midwives will receive a copy of the new code with NMC News at the beginning of April. The new code will come in to effect on 1 May 2008. Clear sexual boundaries - CHRE guidance released10 January 2008 The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) has issued three sets of guidance on the maintenance of clear sexual boundaries between healthcare professionals and patients. Although, the guidance is directed at the regulators and not at employers, the documents are a helpful framework for employers when reviewing processes around these issues. Pages in this sectionRegulation archive news Last reviewed 13 Oct 2008 |
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