 |
|
|
UK Health Regulators Urge MEPs to Protect Patient Safety The Alliance of UK Health Regulators on Europe (AURE) is calling on MEPs to vote to protect patient safety today. Under the proposed draft Directive on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (COM (2002) 119 final of 07.03.2002), healthcare professionals from any EU country would be allowed to work for up to four months per year, every year, in the UK, without being registered with a UK regulator. In practice, this means that if there was a problem with the care a person received, the UK regulators would have no powers to take action against the individual. There would also be no means of preventing the same problem from happening again with another patient. The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, which has been considering the issue, is scheduled to vote today (Thursday) on amendments tabled by MEPs to the draft. A number of British and MEPs from other states have supported AURE's concerns and the Alliance now hopes that all members of the Legal Affairs Committee will vote to ensure that the draft Directive is amended. The Alliance is urging MEPs to delete the 16 week proposal from the text and require the relevant bodies in each Member State to share information when they take action against a professional on their register. Hew Mathewson, President, GDC, said: “While we welcome the free movement of professionals throughout the EU, we are seriously concerned at the proposal to allow an individual to work unregistered for any period of time and for the impact that this could have on patient safety. We are calling on MEPs to reject this proposal and ensure that patients throughout the EU are protected.” Sir Graeme Catto, President, GMC, said: “Member States must be required to inform each other of any action that they take to remove a professional from their register. We need to able to ensure that all healthcare professionals registered in the UK are fit to practise and the effective exchange of information is key to this. We hope MEPs recognise this in the debate today.” Jonathan Asbridge, President, NMC, said: “Patients have the right to expect that they are protected by the regulatory system regardless of whether the healthcare professional treating them is in the country permanently or temporarily. We are urging MEPs to ensure that this measure is passed and that public protection safeguards are maintained.” Simon Williams, Director of Policy at the Patients' Association, said: “If this law is passed in Europe then the repercussions for the safety of patients in the UK will be enormous. Patients must be confident that the health professionals employed in this country are safe and up to the job. There may be little chance in the future of knowing this if some don't have to register and can work unchecked.”
For further information and interviews with the Alliance spokespeople contact:
Notes to editors: 1. The membership of the Alliance (AURE) is: General Medical Council, General Dental Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Chiropractic Council, Health Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, General Social Care Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland. 2. These organisations are statutory bodies that exist to regulate those healthcare professionals who operate in these areas. 3. The EU Directive on Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications has not yet been enacted. |
|