Regulation of Health and Social Care Professionals Consultation

professionals to remain registered merely on the basis that they have paid their
fees and have not been subject to fitness to practise proceedings.
6.87 It would also be left to the regulators to decide how to implement this duty. For
example, they could place requirements on registrants to undertake and evidence
their completion of continuing professional development and introduce powers to
remove from the register those who did not meet any such requirements.
However, in making this proposal we recognise that requirements for continuing
professional development can have a financial impact for organisations such as
the NHS. It will therefore be important for the regulators to undertake an impact
assessment and consult widely before introducing new requirements (see
provisional proposal 2-7)
6.88 Revalidation is likely to become an increasingly important system through which
at least some of the regulators will ensure ongoing standards of conduct and
practice. However, some systems of revalidation could be expensive and costly
for organisations like the NHS to comply with. Arguably, the introduction of
revalidation could be seen as matter that should rest with Government to
implement via its proposed regulation-making power (see provisional proposal 2-
10). However, on balance we propose that the regulators should be able to
introduce various systems of revalidation based on a full risk assessment and
public consultation. This would include powers to make rules on:
(1) licences to practise for registrants and the circumstances in which they
can be granted, varied, withdrawn and any conditions placed on them;
(2) the requirements for the revalidation of the licence or registration
(including the frequency of revalidation and information requirements);
(3) any fees charged by the regulators for the purposes of revalidation;
(4) rights to appeal against any revalidation decision;
(5) the restoration of a licence or registration after withdrawal; and
(6) a system of Responsible Officers or any other similar system.
6.89 We welcome further view on this approach and in particular on whether any
additional oversight is needed on the introduction of revalidation.
6.90 As noted previously in this Part, most of the regulators have explicit powers to
quality assure education and training. Under our proposals, these powers will
include any individuals or organisations that deliver revalidation at a local level.
Provisional Proposal 6-12: The statute will require the regulators to ensure
ongoing standards of conduct and practice through continuing professional
development (including the ability to make rules on revalidation).
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