Regulators urge MEPs to vote for safeguards

It was in January last year (News, January 31 2003) that the European Parliament signalled the possibility that boundaries between health services across Europe could be lowered. The original draft of the 'Directive on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications' would have allowed healthcare professionals from any EU country to work for up to four months per year, every year, in the UK, without being registered with a UK regulator.
In practice, this would have meant that if there was a problem with the care a person received, the UK regulators would have no powers to take action against the professional in question. There would also be no means of preventing the same problem from happening again with another patient.
However, last November, the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee amended the Commission's original proposal to reflect concerns that had been raised by the GOC and other members of the AURE (Alliance of UK Health Regulators in Europe) group.
The GOC and its fellow UK regulators this week called on MEPs to ensure patient safety is protected when the European Parliament further considers the draft directive next Wednesday (February 11).
Member of AURE and president of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto said: 'We welcomed the Legal Affairs Committee's vote to require healthcare professionals to register in a host member state in order for them to practise and also to ensure the exchange of information between member states about the fitness to practise of individual professionals.
'We are now urging MEPs to ensure that the Legal Affairs Committee's commitments on patient safety are maintained and strengthened when they vote in the plenary on February 11.'
The umbrella regulators' group said it was seeking some modifications to the votes of the Legal Affairs Committee to ensure that the safeguards for public protection were watertight.
david.challinorrbi.co.ukThe GOC and other UK health regulators hope a European Parliament meeting next week will ensure practitioners from the continent need to be regulated before they can practise in Britain.
It was in January last year (News, January 31 2003) that the European Parliament signalled the possibility that boundaries between health services across Europe could be lowered. The original draft of the 'Directive on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications' would have allowed healthcare professionals from any EU country to work for up to four months per year, every year, in the UK, without being registered with a UK regulator.
In practice, this would have meant that if there was a problem with the care a person received, the UK regulators would have no powers to take action against the professional in question. There would also be no means of preventing the same problem from happening again with another patient.
However, last November, the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee amended the Commission's original proposal to reflect concerns that had been raised by the GOC and other members of the AURE (Alliance of UK Health Regulators in Europe) group.
The GOC and its fellow UK regulators this week called on MEPs to ensure patient safety is protected when the European Parliament further considers the draft directive next Wednesday (February 11).
Member of AURE and president of the GMC, Sir Graeme Catto said: 'We welcomed the Legal Affairs Committee's vote to require healthcare professionals to register in a host member state in order for them to practise and also to ensure the exchange of information between member states about the fitness to practise of individual professionals.
'We are now urging MEPs to ensure that the Legal Affairs Committee's commitments on patient safety are maintained and strengthened when they vote in the plenary on February 11.'
The umbrella regulators' group said it was seeking some modifications to the votes of the Legal Affairs Committee to ensure that the safeguards for public protection were watertight.
david.challinorrbi.co.uk