Employers need to play a greater role in the regulation of healthcare professionals in the future, according to NHS Employers’ response to the national reviews on workforce regulation.
NHS Employers has submitted evidence to the reviews of medical and non-medical workforce regulation, highlighting that employers have a responsibility to ensure the competence of their staff.
Alastair Henderson, deputy director of NHS Employers, said: “Proper recognition of the crucial role that employers play is long overdue. Employers have a duty to provide a high quality of care to their patients and they can only fulfil this duty if they are responsible for the competence of their staff. This fact has never been properly acknowledged.
“The clear message from employers is that they are in the best position to assess the competence of their staff and to ensure that their patients are properly protected.”
The reviews looked at the revalidation of staff, which ensures they are competent and fit to do their jobs. This would place “significant responsibilities” on employers in terms of capacity and resource, Henderson said.
“This will be a challenge for some organisations, and we will need to work closely with them to help them deliver any new responsibilities efficiently and effectively,” he said.
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