The PSA has today published its latest research report Perspectives on a Common Code of Conduct for Health and Care Professionals.
Could a common code contribute to reducing complexity?
We wanted to explore the potential benefits of a common code to help retain staff, support multi-disciplinary working, improve workplace culture, and ensure consistency in regulatory decision-making while reducing complexity in the system.
We commissioned Solutions Research earlier this year to carry out qualitive research. The research explored the views of members of the public, registrants and wider stakeholders on introducing a common code and its likely benefits. The research found that, though there are advantages to having one code of conduct across health and care professions, it would not necessarily reduce complexity. There was also a risk that a common code would need to be diluted to cover so many and varied professions. This view was further reinforced by conversations with other stakeholders, including several of the regulators we oversee who expressed concerns about the practicalities around implementing a common code and, for some, a desire to recognise the differences between professions.
A different approach
We have reviewed the report’s findings as well as the views stakeholders have shared with us and concluded that the work required to overcome these challenges would not be justified by the potential benefits of a common code.
Instead, we believe that similar benefits could be achieved through the judicious use of joint statements when and where relevant.
Joint statements could help both regulators and Accredited Registers respond to emerging areas of risk. They could also promote consistency of approach and language which will benefit patients and the public. Our Position Paper, also published today, provides more details.
What happens next?
We will work with stakeholders, including the public, regulators and Accredited Registers to consider how to take this work forward, including how we prioritise areas of practice where issuing joint statements could add the most value.
You can read through Perspectives on a Common Code of Conduct for Health and Care Professionals as well as our Position Paper on a Common Code of Conduct.
ENDS
Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care
Contact: media@professionalstandards.org.uk
Notes to the Editor
- The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care oversees 10 statutory bodies that regulate health and social care professionals in the UK.
- We assess their performance and report to Parliament. We also conduct audits and investigations and can appeal fitness to practise cases to the courts if we consider that sanctions are insufficient to protect the public and it is in the public interest.
- We also set standards for organisations holding registers for health and social care occupations and accredit those that meet them and continue to meet them.
- We share good practice and knowledge, conduct research and introduce new ideas to our sector. We monitor policy developments in the UK and internationally and provide advice on issues relating to professional standards in health and social care.
- We do this to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of users of health and social care services and the public. We are an independent body, accountable to the UK Parliament.
- Codes of conduct set out expectations of professionals in terms of behaviour and ethics. As part of our role, we assess whether the professional regulators and Accredited Registers we oversee have appropriate codes of conduct in place.
- This exploratory qualitative research project was commissioned at the start of 2024 as part of a scoping exercise to explore perceptions, benefits and risks associated with a common code of conduct for health and care professionals. The research was conducted by Research Solutions with a report delivered on 26 April 2024.
- Our values are – integrity, transparency, respect, fairness and teamwork – and we strive to ensure that they are at the core of our work.
- More information about our work and the approach we take is available at www.professionalstandards.org.uk