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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. LAWRENCE
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 22nd JUNE 2010
Question
What consideration, if any, is being given to updating the Health Care (Registration) (Jersey) Law 1995?
If no consideration is being given, will consideration be given to updating and revising those professions covered by the Law and will that change be made by Regulation or Order?
Answer
The Health Care Registration Law 1995 requires anyone working in any of the health or social care occupations listed in the Schedule to the Law to be registered in the Island. The Regulations made under the Health Care (Registration) Jersey Law 1995, were amended to add to the schedule of registrable occupations, Ambulance Paramedics (in 2003), Nurses, Midwives and Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (in 2005) and Art Therapists, Operating Department Practitioners, Podiatrists and Social Workers (in 2007).
A bid for drafting time was made in 2006 to amend the Law for the following reasons.
Firstly to limit the criteria for entry to the Jersey register, so that only professionals registered with a UK regulatory body will be eligible to register locally. The reason for this is that the UK regulators have the resources and infrastructure to determine the requirements for professional education and training, to set standards for codes of practice and professional conduct and to operate a framework for investigating and judging professional misconduct allegations. It would be unrealistic and inefficient for Jersey to set up an equivalent function. The intention is that once this amendment is in force, any new professional groups who are registered with a UK statutory body will be added to the Jersey Schedule of registrable occupations by regulation.
The proposed amendment will also enable any individual registered in Jersey to be removed in the event of their UK registration lapsing. At present it is only possible to do this annually when the registrant applies for re registration.
The amendment proposes to enable a registrant to be suspended from the register pending an investigation and to give authority to an individual or body to carry out an investigation into a registered professional where necessary.
The delay in implementing these proposals was due to the delay in the UK in registering Clinical Psychologists which was put back several times until finally coming into force in July 2009.
The original draft of the amendment is currently being reviewed with the law drafting office and it is hoped that it will be ready for lodging with the States in autumn session 2010.