My Department's measures for the rationalisation of agencies within the health sector have been prepared primarily in the context of the OECD's recommendations in relation to the need for a more integrated public service. The measures reflect and build upon the progress to date with agency rationalisation within the sector under the overall health reform programme, and take account of experience to date with the practicalities of rationalisation.
The National Social Work Qualifications Board (NSWQB) was established in 1997 under the Health Corporate Bodies Act, 1961 and is the designated authority for the profession of social work in Ireland under EU Directive 2005/36/EC. The Health and Social Care Professionals Council (H&SCPC) was established in March 2007, under The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 for the purpose of protecting the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education and competence. The Council, currently in start up mode, will initially register twelve separate professions for statutory registration including Social Workers. Part 8 of the Health & Social Care Professionals Act 2005 already provides for the dissolution of the NSWQB and its rationalisation into the H&SCPC and work has commenced on the transfer of all Board staff, functions, assets and liabilities to the Council not later than May 2009.
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is also to be integrated into the H&SCPC. PHECC was established in April 2000 by SI No 109 of 2000 under the Health Corporate Bodies Act 1961, as amended. PHECC's primary function is to develop appropriate standards in pre-hospital emergency care. It concerns itself with the development of professional and performance standards for the ambulance services and for ambulance services personnel, in addition to the registration of emergency care practitioners and the accreditation of institutions providing training for them. As a registration body, PHECC has a role in protecting the public. It also fulfils this function by laying down, promoting and monitoring standards for the delivery of pre-hospital emergency care. With the establishment of the H&SCPC, and its responsibility for registration and fitness to practise arrangements in relation to twelve separate health and social care professions, it is considered appropriate that in due course the Council should assume responsibility for these functions in relation to pre-hospital emergency care practitioners also. This will put the arrangements for pre-hospital emergency care practitioners on the same footing as for other health and social care professionals and will ensure consistency and uniformity of practice in relation to the regulation of those professions. My Department is examining in detail the nature of the legislative changes required to give effect to the transfer, as appropriate, of PHECC's functions to the H&SCPC, and it is anticipated that primary legislation will be required. Having regard to the planned timescale for the registration of the twelve professions named in the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, it is envisaged at this stage that the transfer of PHECC's functions to the H&SCPC will take place within a three-year timeframe.
The Opticians Board is also to be integrated into the H&SCPC to ensure consistency and standardisation in the regulation of health and social care professionals. The function of the Opticians Board is to provide for the registration and control of optometrists and dispensing opticians. The Opticians Board was established under the Opticians Acts 1956 and 2003. Primary legislation will be required to provide for the dissolution of the Board and for the transfer of its functions to the H&SCPC. The immediate priority for the H&SCPC is to establish statutory registration for the twelve health and social care professions designated for registration under the 2005 Act. The H&SCPC has examined which professions from within the designated twelve are most suitable for early registration and has recently decided to appoint the first two of twelve statutory Registration Boards, the Social Work Registration Board and the Physiotherapist Registration Board, to be established by end of 2008. The H&SCPC will continue to work to establish additional Registration Boards from within the designated 12 professional grades during the course of 2009, in the context of available funding and resources. While the transfer to the Council of the functions currently exercised by the Opticians Board is dependent on progress made in the initial registration of the other twelve professions, it is anticipated at this stage that this will also happen within a three-year timeframe.
While there is clearly a need to secure efficiencies from the rationalisation programme, the primary aim is to streamline service delivery, professional registration and policy making in a number of areas in the health sector, through the integration and/or amalgamation of functions. It is envisaged that efficiencies and savings will derive over time from economies of scale and the elimination of duplication in areas such as recruitment, procurement, payroll and ICT systems.