Medical misconduct

Regulations to be overhauled

In what’s being heralded as the biggest overhaul of professional regulation in more than a century, doctors, nurses and other health professionals accused of misconduct are set to face faster disciplinary action.

Currently, nine separate regulators cover health professionals, including bodies such as the Nursing & Midwifery Council, the General Dental Council, and the Health & Care Professions Council.

Government ministers have brought forward new plans to streamline bureaucracy, merge nine regulators into three, to make it easier for patients to complain, and will also maintain a blacklist that would ban incompetent staff.

Minister of State for Health, Philip Dunne, commented that “The current regulatory system is not fit for a modern healthcare service like our NHS. That’s why we want to understand what needs to change to make it clearer and simpler for the regulators and healthcare professionals, and ensure patients have the best possible protection”.
 

Here to help

Our Medical Negligence team are on hand to talk about your clients’ healthcare issues and answer any questions they may have. To arrange a confidential discussion please call us on 0203 871 9258, or email medneg@attwaters.co.uk.