Regulation of Health and Social Care Professionals Consultation

FOREWORD BY THE LEAD COMMISSIONERS
The current system of health and social care professional regulation across the UK aims
to ensure high standards of care and support by setting high standards of education,
conduct and practice and by taking action to remove unsuitable workers in rare cases
when things go wrong. In order to function effectively, it is vital that professional
regulation can adapt to provide flexible and responsive systems that protect public
safety and promote professional development. But the present legal framework for
professional regulation is complex and expensive, and requires continuous Government
intervention to keep it up to date. There are currently seven Acts of Parliament and three
Orders which govern the regulators, as well as a vast range of different rules and
regulations.
This consultation paper sets out our provisional proposals for how the system for
regulating health workers (and social workers in England) should be reformed to
maintain high professional standards and to maintain the confidence of the public. The
aim is to modernise and simplify the current complex arrangements for professional
regulation and remove the inconsistencies in the over-arching legal provisions, meaning
that all professionals are subject to the same framework. This would make the legal
structure easier to understand for the public and health and social care professions. Our
proposals also aim to enable the regulators to be able to respond more quickly to
developments in the provision of health and social care, and changes in the social,
political and economic environment.
FRANCES PATTERSON QC
Public Law Commissioner for England and Wales
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PATRICK LAYDEN QC TD
Scottish Law Commissioner
THE HON MR JUSTICE McCLOSKEY
Chairman of the Northern Ireland Law Commission