Healthcare Assistants Regulation

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

I've been flicking through the nursing news this week (yeah I know but it's good bedtime reading) Some interesting news from the RCN and NMC about regulation of healthcare support workers

The Royal College of Nursing welcomes the announcement that Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is to commission research into the potential regulation of health care assistants (HCAs). The RCN says this is a public safety issue and it is vital that these workers are properly regulated.

RCN Executive Director of Nursing and Service Delivery Janet Davies says:

"This is a welcome development, as the RCN has been calling for the regulation of health care assistants for some time. HCAs are hugely important in delivering care across the country, and this should be recognised in their regulatory framework. We know from our research that HCAs themselves want to be professionally regulated and recognised as deliverers of high quality care."

http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/news/article/uk/rcn_welcomes_nmc_announcement_on_hca_regulation

And from the NMC http://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=4037

"The regulation of health care support workers operating below the level of registered nurses and midwives continues to raise questions regarding public protection. This is likely to increase as more and more activities previously undertaken by nurses and midwives are devolved to this, unregulated part of the workforce. It is a concern that someone who has been struck off the register as, for example, a nurse working in a care home can potentially continue working in care homes as an HCSW".