Health - Professions fight govt grab
WORKERS, JAN 2006 ISSUE
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has unanimously agreed to oppose the government proposal to take away their right to self-regulation. Currently nurses and midwives accused of misconduct are tried by their peers. A government review of non-medical regulation has recommended the creation of an "independent, unified adjudicatory body" for all health professionals other than doctors. The proposed membership of what would be effectively a private agency is unclear.
Members of the NMC and the health unions point out that the recommendation is not based on any critique of current practice. The current system of self-regulation already has a built-in safeguard which allows for judicial review of any NMC decision that is deemed to be too lenient or too harsh. Since 2003 only two out of 2,849 cases have had to be referred for review. NMC member Marianne Cowpe said: "It is ludicrous to say that our system is not working when there is no evidence to support that conclusion."