Regulatory reform consultation gets thumbs up from the CSP

The document, published this month by the Department of Health and Social Care, outlines the government’s intended changes to regulation.

It takes account of responses to a consultation, which closed in 2018, and indicates how the government intends to pursue the issues raised in more depth. 

CSP assistant director Sally Gosling said the government's response aligned with many of the recommendations CSP made when it submitted its response to the consultation in 2017/18.

‘We broadly welcome the UK and devolved governments' response to the Reforming Regulation consultation.

‘We are pleased that a number of the changes for which we indicated support in our submission to the consultation are reflected in the response recommendations.

‘These include modernising regulators’ fitness to practise processes. We see it as essential that case management is sped up. This is in the interests of all parties, to protect patients, and to ensure that healthcare professionals subject to fitness to practise cases are subject to a fair, transparent and consistent process.’

Promoting professionalism

Dr Gosling also welcomed the governments’ plan to explore how regulators can be enabled to enact their core functions in more standardised and easily understandable ways.

‘Potential risks to patient safety need to be averted at an early stage through a heavier focus on promoting professionalism and regulators working as effectively and efficiently as possible,’ she explained.

‘At the same time, regulators’ development of more pre-emptive, ‘upstream’ approaches to their role and a stronger focus on ensuring value for money must recognise the crucial, established role of professional member organisations, including the CSP, and avoid potential duplication of effort.

‘We look forward to direct engagement as government proposals for change are developed.’

CSP recommendations on reform

In a response to the original consultation, the CSP suggested that the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which currently regulates 16 professions, would be a good model to follow for multi-professional regulation.

The society also highlighted the significant role that the CSP and other allied health professional bodies play in assuring the quality of pre-registration education and in promoting and supporting members’ professionalism.