Today, we have published a consultation on our strategic plan for 2023-26. This is the first time that we have consulted publicly on a strategic plan. It is also the first time that we have anchored our strategic objectives to a fixed, three-year time frame.
We would like to hear from patients, service users, regulators, Accredited Registers, stakeholders and anyone else who has a view on what we do, how we work and how our strategic plan can help us to have a meaningful impact on patient and service user safety and public protection.
So, why the change?
Over the next three years, reforms to the professional regulatory system in health and care will begin to unfold. This will begin with the regulation of two groups of medical associates (MAPs) – physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) in 2024. What follows is still to be determined but gives the potential for a more flexible and cohesive regulatory framework.
The stakes for getting this right are high. As highlighted in our report Safer care for all - solutions through the lens of professional regulation and beyond accessible designed version, we think there are four important themes that need to be addressed:
- Tackling inequalities
- Regulating for new risks
- Facing up to the workforce crisis
- Accountability, fear and public safety.
On 9 November, we convened stakeholders at our Safer care for all conference to debate some of the key questions arising from our report. Speakers from a range of organisations, including the NHS and Chairs of major healthcare inquiries, debated issues such as whether regulation needs to change to deliver the workforce of the future.
One point that struck me during these discussions was the sense of history repeating itself, and a failure to learn from the mistakes of the past. The recommendations we have made in Safer care for all are focused on having clear lines of accountability and oversight, and on organisations working together to tackle systemic, cross-cutting issues such as inequalities.
Our strategic plan sets out how we intend to achieve these goals by 2026 and how we will know if we’ve been successful. It begins by us carrying out our core role to greatest effect and using our oversight of the performance of the regulators and Accredited Registers to make sure that regulation is effective, efficient and fair. It means that we continue to provide a safety net for serious concerns about professionals. It also means using our policy and research expertise to better understand and tackle regulatory gaps and failings, and to help us champion ways to make the system fairer. Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion requires a system that works for all.
We know that challenging times lie ahead. Some things will inevitably fall outside our control and we will need to work with others. But our commitment to public protection remains consistent and strong and that will not change.
How to respond to our consultation
We welcome your feedback on our proposed strategic plan. The deadline to respond is 24 February 2023.
You can find out more about the consultation here, where you can also download a response form or link to our online survey. A Welsh version is also available.