2023-09-10 13:08:18
NHS Scotland has just published the results of a consultation on proposals, which would be actioned by amending provisions in the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, to expand the regulatory remit of Healthcare Improvement Scotland to deal with independent health care services.
In the consultation, NHS Scotland proposed to:
- enable Healthcare Improvement Scotland to regulate independent health care services provided by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, which are not provided under the terms of an NHScontract or from non-General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) registered premises.
- enable Healthcare Improvement Scotland to regulate independent medical agencies providing health care services which consist of or include the provision of services by a medical practitioner, dental practitioner, registered nurse, registered midwife, dental care professional, pharmacist, or pharmacy technician. This would include independent medical agencies operating entirely online. However, services provided by either a pharmacist or pharmacy technician in pharmacy premises registered with the GPhCor a nurse agency regulated by the Care Inspectorate (officially known as Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland) would be exempt.
The call for increased regulation includes independent health care services provided by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians which are not provided from a registered pharmacy and would extend to independent medical agencies as well as independent medical agencies operating entirely online and headquartered in Scotland.
In the case of each question posed in the consultation, most respondents were in favour of the proposed increased regulation. However, the Scottish Government has not expressed its own further views or spelled out the wording of the amendments it intends to make to the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 nor stated when it intends to bring amendments into force.