Regulators’ update
In our last newsletter, we mentioned that this is not our usual round-up of what the regulators have been doing recently with regard to consultations or publishing reports. Though there has been some return to 'day-to-day' activities, including running consultations and publishing reports, this section is still mainly focused on providing links through to the regulators’ Covid-19 website hubs.
Joint report on whistleblowing
On 1 April 2017, a legal duty came into force which required all prescribed bodies to publish an annual report on the whistleblowing disclosures made to them by workers. This includes the statutory professional regulators. The regulators have produced a joint report for 2020. The report is published jointly by the General Chiropractic Council, General Dental Council, General Medical Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, Health and Care Professions Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
You can download the Whistleblowing disclosures report 2020 from the GDC’s website.
General Chiropractic Council
The GCC’s website hub includes advice for students and patients, changes to how the GCC will hold conduct committee hearings, rapid response as well as regular updates and news.
General Dental Council
The GDC’s Covid-19 website hub includes guidance for the public and its registrants, GDC updates as well as useful links to Covid-19 information from other organisations.
Fitness to practise insights and statistics
The GDC has published a package of reports providing statistics and case examples of fitness to practise cases in 2019, including a statistical report and six short insight reports. You can find out more from the GDC’s website.
General Medical Council
The GMC’s website has all its Covid-19 related information including advice for doctors and patients, medical students and trainees and information about temporary registration.
General Optical Council
The GOC’s Covid-19 hub includes advice for its registrants and the public.
Consultation on supporting registrants throughout the pandemic
The GOC has launched a consultation seeking views on how it can continue to support its registrants and the optical sector throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as different parts of the UK experience local and potentially national restrictions now and in the future. The deadline for responses is 7 January 2021 and you can find out more from the GOC’s Consultation Hub.
General Osteopathic Council
The GOsC has a Covid-19 area on its website. It includes guidance for registrants and the public, advice from government, useful links and updates.
General Pharmaceutical Council
The GPhC’s Coronavirus website hub includes latest updates and advice, including Q&As.
Consultation on English language guidance
The GPhC is proposing that applicants to the registers of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians could use a recent pass of the Pharmacy Occupational English Language Test (OET) as evidence of English language competence. The deadline for responding is this week - 6 November 2020. You can find out more from the GPhC's website.
Health and Care Professions Council
The HCPC’s Covid-19 website hub includes FAQs and advice for registrants, temporary registrants, members of the public, students and education providers.
Nursing and Midwifery Council
The NMC’s website includes information for their registrants, students, overseas candidates, employers, as well as patients. It also includes FAQs and information about how to raise a concern about someone on their Covid-19 temporary register.
NMC sets out plans to safely resume fitness to practise hearings
The NMC has published information on how it will safely and fairly resume in-person Fitness to Practise (FtP) hearings from 14 September 2020. You can find out more details from their website.
Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland
The PSNI’s website includes FAQs, advice and guidance as well as the latest updates.
Social Work England
SWE’s website includes information for registrants, the public, students, education providers and employers.