UK: PSA issues guidance on new regulatory powers

From the Professional Standards Authority, UK:

"The PSA has today published new guidance to help support the healthcare professional regulators we oversee in making use of new powers they will gain, as part of the four UK Governments’ legislative reform programme.

This follows a renewed Government commitment to take forward reform following the introduction of blueprint legislation through the Anaesthesia Associate and Physician Associate Order (AAPAO). The General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Health and Care Professions Council will be next in line to receive new powers. The changes will allow regulators to be more agile and efficient in protecting the public.

Using their new powers, the regulators will be able to use a less adversarial and quicker ‘accepted outcomes’ process for dealing with complaints about healthcare professionals. Our accepted outcomes guidance provides pointers to help regulators decide when a case can be resolved without a public hearing and when a hearing might be needed to maintain public confidence and ensure a robust review of the evidence.

The regulators will also have new powers to make and amend the rules governing the way they regulate. Our rulemaking guidance lays out principles to guide regulators to use their powers transparently, with appropriate consultation, ensuring consistency where possible and in a way which prioritises public protection.

The PSA ran a 12-week public consultation on both pieces of guidance between 22 January and 15 April 2024. We are publishing the full consultation outcome report including analysis of responses alongside the guidance. We were very grateful for all of the feedback and engagement we received from stakeholders on the guidance both before and during the consultation period. We delayed publication of the final guidance until we had clarity on the next steps with reform. Now that Government has made clear its renewed commitment to proceed with the next phase of reform, we are publishing the guidance to promote good practice in how the regulators use these new powers."