Revalidation
Revalidation is the term used to describe the regulatory process for all healthcare professionals to demonstrate continued fitness to practice.
Background
In 2007 the UK Government published the White Paper on regulation, Trust, Assurance and Safety: the Regulation of Healthcare Professionals in the 21st Century, which sets out a programme of reform to the United Kingdom's system for the regulation of health professionals. The paper is complemented by the UK Government's response to the recommendations of the Fifth Report of the Shipman Inquiry and to the recommendations of the Ayling, Neale and Kerr/Haslam Inquiries, Safeguarding Patients, which sets out a range of measures to improve and enhance clinical governance in the NHS.
Along with all the healthcare regulators, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) are exploring revalidation in response to the UK Government's White Paper, which states that the NMC is expected to:
'have in place arrangements for the revalidation of their (statutorily regulated health professions) professional registration.'
NES staff, NHS Board colleagues and Higher Education Institution representatives were invited by NMC to take part in a Scottish consultation workshop in June 2011 related to revalidation. A second consultation event is planned by NMC later in the year.
