Training of health professionals

WQ.263/2019

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY C.S. ALVES OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 18th JUNE 2019

Question

What measures, if any, are either currently in place or have been considered to  ensure that health professionals are adequately qualified to treat patients in the private sector in areas such as counselling, acupuncture and nutrition?

Answer

The measures in place vary depending on the service provided.

The Piercing and Tattooing (Jersey) Law 2002 requires any person who is practising acupuncture in Jersey to be registered with the Jersey Care Commission. The Commission independently inspects and regulates both the practitioner and their premises (this also applies to other forms of skin piercing such as tattooing and ear piercing).

Counselling and nutrition services are not independently regulated in Jersey. Practitioners may choose to register with a professional body  which  applies membership/accreditation criteria relating to formal training, types of qualification, codes of ethical conduct etc. (for example, the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy or Voluntary Register of Nutritionists). Membership of these bodies is voluntary however, and only provides for a regime of self-regulation as opposed to independent regulation. This is in common with the UK.

Work has commenced on the development of a new professional registration law which will replace various existing registration laws (for example, the Medical Practitioners (Registration) Jersey Law 1960). The first phase of this work will bring forward standardised registration processes for professionals already required in law to be registered in Jersey (for example: nurses, social workers, dentists).

Work will then commence on considering whether other practitioners/service providers should also be required to register in Jersey in order to practice in Jersey, and associated registration requirements. It is envisaged that this work, which will be undertaken in partnership with Guernsey, will commence in four to five years' time once regulations have been developed under the Regulation of Care (Jersey) Law 2014 providing the independent Jersey Care Commission with powers to regulate higher risk health and social care services.

Health and Social Care professionals currently registered in Jersey include: