Working together for better patient outcomes
Most health and care professionals will never want to see their regulator. They may shudder at the idea of a CPD audit and avoid a Fitness to Practise (FTP) referral at all costs.
But if you think regulators are punitive, tick boxes, or lovers of bureaucracy, my views, as the Chair of the only fully multi-professional regulator in the UK, may come as a surprise.
The reason health and care regulators deserve to exist is entirely down to our purpose: public protection and patient safety. Regulation is an essential part of ensuring care is high quality, and of enabling registrants to thrive in their profession. But often regulators discuss what we can’t do, rather than what we can.
To truly fulfil our role in keeping people safe, we must think about the whole system and every individual within it. Every patient, every registrant and everyone who is part of the healthcare system matters.
A few weeks ago, I was able to spend some time with the brilliant Dr Henrietta Hughes, the Patient Safety Commissioner, to discuss the importance of our two organisations working together, alongside other regulators throughout the healthcare system, to create better outcomes for patients.
A big theme of our conversation was collaboration. As a truly multi-profession regulator, we can clearly see the benefits of different professionals working together.
But our current regulatory landscape too often reflects the opposite. We are complicated and siloed, when we should be operating as a multi-regulatory team.
Improving collaboration between regulators, sharing data, systems and embracing technology to allow us to do it would be a game-changer.
Not only would it improve efficiency, but it would also make the experience for the public and registrants simpler and easier. It can be too difficult for patients trying to work out who is responsible for what and this has real-world consequences.
Last year, the HCPC set up a cross-regulator group with a focus on patient consent. At its last meeting the group reviewed draft principles to make patient consent more than a tick-box exercise and ensure patients are empowered to make informed choices about their care. Initiatives such as these are a positive first step, but for lasting change to take place we need regulatory reform through legislative action.
The previous government promised these changes and began its work with the GMC last year. We are scheduled to be next, and I very much hope this new Government keeps up the momentum.
By working more collaboratively, we can not only empower patients to make more informed choices about their care but also empower professionals to work more confidently. Many people in health imagine a future where regulatory collaboration and shared platforms lead to a seamless, efficient system that prioritises patient safety and professional excellence. If we work together and grasp the opportunity of legislative change, we can start to turn that utopia into a practical reality.