11.04.13
More than 90% of HCAs back call for national register
Healthcare assistants (HCAs) themselves back compulsory registration, new research shows, with nine in ten backing the idea and two-thirds willing to pay to register.
A register of HCAs was one of the recommendations in the Francis report, but was rejected by ministers last month as being too bureaucratic. It was also considered unfair to ask staff on low wages to pay the annual fees to support such a system.
But a poll of 385 staff by the British Journal of Healthcare Assistants found that 67% would be willing to pay for registration.
Dr Peter Carter, chief executive & general secretary of the RCN welcomed the survey and said: “Strikingly, more than nine in ten Health Care Support Workers support compulsory registration. This is a crucial recommendation from the recent Francis Inquiry, and something the RCN has long been calling for. It is clear that HCAs themselves take delivering safe care to patients very seriously, and more than two-thirds would be prepared to pay an annual registration fee.”
Rehana Azam GMB national officer said: “The survey highlights the extent to which Healthcare Assistants are involved in patient care but also reports on their experiences and highlights that some Healthcare Assistants feel they could be better supported in their working environment.
“NHS Employers have a massive role to ensure that NHS workers operate in appropriate environments where the right and appropriate skills mix are organised and available at all times as demand for services grows. Leadership and motivation of NHS and Care Staff will be crucial and minimum standards of training will be essential.”
But a Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Setting up a register would be a bureaucratic tick-box exercise.
“We are tackling this issue at its root, focusing on making sure healthcare support workers have the right training, values, support and leadership to provide the high-quality care that patients deserve.”
National Health Executive covered this issue in detail here.
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