- Conference
- 2024 National Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 30 November 2023
- Decision
- Carried
In the UK, there are 9 regulators of healthcare professionals regulating 34 professions across the UK.
Conference notes growing concerns surrounding the future of funding of regulation for health care workers. A persistent concern from members is the continued increase in registration fees by different regulatory bodies, such as the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Last year’s resolution at conference carried a unanimous mandate in favour of the recommendations set out in our motion ‘Protecting members and protecting the public – the future shape of regulation’. The motion raised concerns over the proposed fee increase by HCPC which would fall on their registrants to pay. Despite UNISON’s ongoing campaigns and opposition, the HCPC went ahead with their 20% fee increase. We cannot accept this as a norm.
Following the resolution last year, we have undertaken a comparative research report on the funding models of healthcare regulatory bodies across Europe. It reveals funding models for regulators that do not solely rely on funding from their members, or annual fee increases. However, a move away from registrant funding on regulators could have implications for the independence and self-regulation of professions.
Conference believes that our long-term campaigning strategy and policy position need to consider targeting the overall structure of the funding of regulators and to use the outcomes of our options appraisal report on comparative funding models of healthcare regulators to consider future policy options that would be available to fund regulators including registrants, employers or the government.
Conference therefore calls upon the SGE to use the findings of the comparative research report to:
1)consider whether to commission further, more nuanced research on different funding models of healthcare regulators and their respective effectiveness.
2)engage our registrant members in the development of a campaign and a firmer policy position for the future funding of regulation.
3)collaborate and work with other occupational groups to ensure the voices of all those registered with the healthcare regulators, are heard and considered in our future policy positions on regulation funding.