Book Description

This White Paper sets out a programme of reform to the UK's system for the regulation of health professionals. It contains a number of proposals with the aim of establishing a transparent system that can be seen to be independent and accountable and introduces the principle of revalidation so that registered professionals will have to demonstrate their continued fitness to practice. There will be changes in the way that problems will be handled. In the adjudication of fitness to practise cases panels should use civil standards of proof rather than the criminal standard and the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence should have enhanced powers to supervise the regulators' handling of such cases. The Government agrees that there should be a separation of investigation and prosecution from adjudication and will work with the GMC to establish an independent body to adjudicate on fitness to practice cases involving the medical profession. Other topics covered in this document are: education and the role of regulatory bodies; information about health professional and regulation for emerging professions.