Report of meeting between representatives of the 12 Professional Bodies and the Department of Health, 29^th July 2011 

Representatives of the Professional Bodies met with the Department of Health in July. It was a significant meeting in that it was the first time we stood as a group speaking for all 12 professions. It was a positive opportunity for us to convey our welcoming of state registration, our chance to show that we wished to make a constructive contribution to progress, and to show that there are advantages for us to meet the Department rather than having CORU communicate on our behalf. 

Four issues were discussed. The first was around the experience of Social Workers, the first grouping to go through the registration process. Feedback was given, much of it unknown to the Department. It was made clear to us that the new Codes will be “living documents” which can evolve and change without the need for change in primary legislation. There was also a commitment to providing the “skeleton” code on which each profession can build, something that had not been made available to this point. 

Secondly it was a chance for us to discuss the proposed fees. The Department was adamant that CORU has to be self-financing but we pointed out some ways in which savings could be made and they assured us of their review to see if costs can be reduced further (there has been one reduction to this point) through procedural and operational efficiencies. 

Thirdly, the issue of transparency was discussed, notably in relation to the criteria used in appointments to the Registration Boards. We were told that the Government is looking to increase transparency in such appointments which we told them would be an important development. 

Fourthly, our view was outlined that CPD needs to be mandatory and that the professional bodies would be the likely competent authority to oversee this. The Department’s response was they will ask CORU to bring forward suggestions regarding CPD but that they could not conceive of any development in this area without full consultation with us. 

Those of us who attended felt that there was a great strength in our acting together and in continuing to share information about our experiences and the issues we see for the future. Having a direct voice to the Department increases our input into what is such a crucial area.

The Professional Bodies