New regulation bodies unveiled

Two new regulatory watchdogs will oversee the
work of nurses, midwives and associated health professions,
following legislation introduced by health minister John Hutton
last week.

From April the Nursing and Midwifery Council
(NMC) will replace the UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery
and Health Visiting, which has governed nurses for the past 22
years.

The Health Professions Council (HPC) will
replace the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine,
which has operated for the past 40 years.

“They will be more flexible, more responsive
and will allow development of professional standards to reflect the
changing workforce needed by the modern NHS,” said Hutton.

Health visitors will be covered by the NMC and
will have equal membership with nurses and midwives, though they
are unhappy their name has been omitted from the title.

Occupational therapists, speech and language
therapists and physiotherapists are among the other professions
covered by the HPC.