UK Developments and Paramedic Regulation
The Health and Care Professions Council website in the UK has posted details of 6 fitness to practice cases as well as a consultation on possible indemnity insurance legislation for regulated healthcare professionals.
The following gives details of a number of paramedics suspended from the HCPC Register for a number of varying reasons over the past number of months. It was also reported that a paramedic was struck off the register for failure to respond appropriately to an emergency call.
1. Paramedic suspended for aggressive conduct towards a patient
- http://www.hcpc-uk.org/mediaandevents/pressreleases/index.asp?id=608
2. Paramedic suspended for drink driving conviction
- http://www.hcpc-uk.org/mediaandevents/pressreleases/index.asp?id=606
3. Paramedic suspended for falsification of records
- http://www.hcpc-uk.org/mediaandevents/pressreleases/index.asp?id=598
4. Paramedic suspended for failing to appropriately assess a patient
- http://www.hcpc-uk.org/mediaandevents/pressreleases/index.asp?id=596
5. Paramedic suspended for inappropriate behaviour towards students
- http://www.hcpc-uk.org/mediaandevents/pressreleases/index.asp?id=595
6. Paramedic struck off for failure to respond appropriately to emergency call
- http://www.hcpc-uk.org/mediaandevents/pressreleases/index.asp?id=594
A consultation process has commenced on legislation that would mean all regulated healthcare professionals would have to hold indemnity or insurance to practise. This would also include paramedics. The UK wide consultation (scheduled to run from 22 February to 17 May 2013) on draft regulations on the requirement for all regulated healthcare professionals to hold an insurance or indemnity arrangement as a condition of their registration with the relevant regulatory body.
The vast majority of regulated healthcare professionals are in receipt of cover by virtue of their employer’s liability, or via a professional body which offers an indemnity arrangement as a benefit of membership. It will be for individual healthcare professionals to assure themselves that appropriate cover is in place for all the work they undertake.
Unless healthcare professionals can demonstrate that such arrangements are in place they will be unable to be registered as a healthcare professional and so be unable to practice. The consultation and supporting documents can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2013/02/indemnity-i/