Regulation of Health and Social Care Professionals Consultation

5.9 However, the significance of registration in securing a profession’s status is
contested. Other factors may be more significant including individual experience,
public opinion, media coverage and the status of the population served by the
profession. It may be that registration has the opposite effect of sending a
message that the occupation is not to be trusted, especially when introduced by
Government on a platform of preventing harm to the public. 5
Provisional view
5.10 The above discussion indicates that while the main purpose of registration is to
provide important information for the public (such as indicating those
professionals who are appropriately qualified, fit to practise and have met
continuing professional development requirements), an important by-product of
registers are the privileges they bestow on professionals. Seen in this light, any
increase or decrease in the number of professional registers would have socioeconomic
consequences. Therefore, in our view the overarching issue of which
professions are to be registered must remain with the Government (see
provisional proposal 2-15).
5.11 Nevertheless, the registration of professional groups is a key function of the
regulators. We provisionally propose that the statute should set out a core duty
on all the regulators to establish and maintain a professional register. However, in
accordance with provisional proposal 2-2, much of the detail on how this duty
should be implemented will be left to the regulators themselves to determine by
issuing rules.
5.12 In Part 12 we discuss the possibility of formal partnership arrangements between
the regulator and other organisations in relation to the exercise of their statutory
functions, including registration.
Provisional Proposal 5-1: The statute should set out a core duty on all the
regulators to establish and maintain a professional register.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING THE REGISTER
5.13 The governing legislation requires each Council to appoint a Registrar to
establish and maintain the register. The sole exception is the Pharmaceutical
Society of Northern Ireland where the Registrar is appointed by the Department
of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. 6 The governing legislation also
enables the regulators to determine matters such as terms of office, remuneration
and any other functions. 7 Some Councils are given statutory powers to appoint a
Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrars. 8 The roles of Chief Executive and
Registrar are combined at all the Councils except the Pharmaceutical Society of
Northern Ireland where different personnel undertake these roles.
4 As above.
5
Orme, J and Rennie, G, “The Role of Registration in Ensuring Ethical Practice” (2006) 49
International Social Work 333.
6 Pharmacy (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, SI 1976 No 1213, art 9(1).
7 See, for example, Chiropractors Act 1994, s 2.
8 See, for example, Dentists Act 1983, s 14(4).
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