Health care assistants call for regulation

Published: 04 March 2009

A new RCN survey of health care assistants has shown that 85% of health care assistants feel they should be regulated, and that 89% are prepared to pay towards professional regulation.

The RCN has already called for all health care assistants to be professionally regulated which would also mean that a code of conduct would apply to their work, and would ensure patient safety, public protection, and confidence in the work of health care assistants.

Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary said:

“The health care assistant members in the survey were keen to be professionally regulated alongside registered nurses and almost all saw official recognition of their role and protecting the good name of health care assistants as benefits of professional regulation, alongside increased trust and confidence from registered nurses and the public”.

The RCN has called for a pragmatic first step to regulate assistant practitioners, the most senior health care assistants, to be regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the body that professionally regulates nursing which should then lead to professional regulation for all health care assistants.