The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel Healthcare Professionals Crossing Borders (HPCB) Spring meeting in Haag 30 June 2008 Director Per Haugum The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel

Theme Why do we regulate health care professions? How do we regulate health care professions? What do we achieve by regulating health care professions? Is it possible to have some shared principles of regulation?

The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel Portugal agreement (2007) Shared principles (1 - page 8): contribute to a high level of quality in healthcare and the security and protection of patients; facilitate professional mobility and provide regulatory assurance to the public benefiting from patient mobility; ensure public confidence in healthcare professionals and their regulation; avoid unnecessary bureaucracy; presume innocence until found guilty in all cases of investigation into professional practice or allegations of criminal activity; respect personal data protection legislation provided for in relevant European Directives3 and national legislation

The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel Why do we regulate health care professionals? The main objectives of the regulation of health care professions is to contribute to: safety for the patients quality within the health service trust in both health personnel and the health service legal protection of the professionals

The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel The system of regulation The system of regulation should be: Transparent (for the patients, the professionals and the public) Accountabel (be valid) Proportional (balance the needs for actions to protect the patients and the legal protection of the professionals) Consistent (be reliable)

The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel Legal protection of the professionals- how do we regulate? Each case should be prepared properly The professionals should be treated fairly The decisions should be predictable The civil servant should be objective and neutral The decision should be impartial The decision should be made by competent persons

The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel Legal protection continued: The decision should take care of the personal integrity, be discrete and considerate The decision should not be arbitrary Equal matters should be treated similarily The decision should not be based on irrelevant facts The professional should have the right to contradiction The decision should be made without undue delay

The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel Legal protection cont. The civil service should be incorruptable The decisions should be understandable The civil service should be available The citisens should not feel minor The decisions should be appealable The decisions can be tried in the court of justice

The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel What is the effect of the regulation? The competent authorities controls the professional’s knowledge, skills and that the professional is not considered to be unfit for the profession they are before allowed to practice Only holders of a licence are entitled to use job titles that are characteristic for the profession The licence can be revoked if the professional is found guilty of misconduct or is unfit to practice