Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

28Chapter 2 – Excellence in Health Profession Regulation: Raising the Bar in Ontarioprotection mandates. The role of the Interprofessional Council is to createopportunities for exchange and coordination – including advising theMinister on existing professions and colleges and the regulation of newprofessions, bringing to the Minister’s attention matters that requiregovernment action, bringing to the Minister and the OPQ measures itconsiders appropriate to enable the OPQ to perform its role, and advisingon amendments to legislation, regulations or by-laws. The Quebec model isresponsible for both health and non-health regulated professions, unlike theCHRE in Great Britain, which is focused only on certain health professions.Great Britain recognized the need to reform its regulatory system to restorepublic confidence in regulated health professions following several highprofile inquiries about physicians who harmed their patients. 22 Thegovernment has accordingly taken major steps towards modernizing theregulation of health professionals including:• Establishing the Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professionalsin 2003, with the passage of the National Health Service Reform andHealth Care Professions Act, 2002.• Publishing a White Paper entitled Trust, Assurance and Safety – TheRegulation of Health Professionals in the 21 st Century (2007). Amongthe White Paper’s initiatives was the consideration of areas in whichregulatory practice and legislative provisions should be harmonizedacross regulators so that they all have the most up-to-date andcomprehensive duties and powers.• Publishing Safeguarding Patients: The Government’s response to therecommendations of the Shipman Inquiry’s fifth report and to therecommendations of the Ayling, Neale and Kerr/Haslam Inquiries(2007). 23 This document sets out specific responses to a number ofinquiries about physicians who harmed their patients.• Based on feedback and consultations on these documents,introducing the Health and Social Care Bill in 2007. 2422U.K. Government Department of Health. Background and Overview of the Proposals to theReforms of Professional Regulation and Clinical Governance. Accessed January 12, 2009.http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Humanresourcesandtraining/Modernisingprofessionalregulation/DH_080049.23U.K Department of Health (2007). Safeguarding Patients: The Government’s Response to theRecommendations of the Shipman Inquiry’s Fifth Report and to the Recommendations of the Ayling,Neale and Kerr/Haslam Inquiries.http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_065953.24The Health and Social Care Act, 2008 received Royal Assent on July 22, 2008.HPRAC Critical Links January 2009