CHRE-News

CHRE-News

Moving forward

The Health and Social Bill was finally passed last month. In accordance with the Health and Social Care Act therefore, CHRE will become the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care in due course.

As part of our preparations for our new roles under the Act, we are currently consulting on our Accreditation standards for organisations that hold voluntary registers for health and social care occupations. This consultation is open until 10 July and can be responded to online, by completing the questionnaire in word and emailing it to accreditation@chre.org.uk or by completing the questionnaire and returning it to: Accreditation Scheme, Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SP.

In January 2012 we were commissioned by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health to carry out a strategic review of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). We published our interim report on 10 April in which we made 16 key recommendations for action. We advised that it is essential that the NMC focus on its core regulatory purpose. Our final report will be published in June.

Our annual symposium in March focused on the Law Commission’s recommendations for modernising legislation. In this issue, you can read more in the articles below: ‘Creating the Future,’ ‘Enhancing autonomy, improving accountability’ and ‘AvMA’s views: proposals made by the Law Commission’. This consultation is open until 31 May and the consultation paper and summary can be accessed through lawcommission.justice.gov.uk.

 

CHRE Symposium: Creating the future

Every year at CHRE we try to identify a suitable subject for our annual symposium. This is the event where we bring together the regulators, academics, Government officials, patient organisations and other stakeholders to discuss a current issue of regulatory policy.

Enhancing autonomy, improving accountability

The Law Commission is currently reviewing the legal framework for the regulation of health care professionals in the UK and social workers in England. The review also extends to the powers and duties of CHRE.

AvMA's views on proposals made by the Law Commission

The Law Commission report has some welcome recommendations but the report is in danger of being a wasted opportunity to get more consistency and accountability into the system and win back public confidence.