Schedule 7 - The Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals
NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill
11:45 am
Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire, Conservative)
I start by commenting on amendment No. 255, which was tabled by the hon. Gentleman. There is an argument that the council should be weighted to reflect the size of membership of particular professions. The hon. Gentleman has suggested the figure of three members for the Health Professions Council as a means of raising the argument, and I would be interested to hear the Minister's view.
I have some concerns about the idea of three members for the Health Professions Council because, for example, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which does not mention health visitors but includes them, represents three large professions that would be represented by one member. Many more people are employed in nursing, midwifery and health visiting than in all other health professions put together, which means that one would not achieve the calibration that one would want on the council. The Minister may have some thoughts on whether it is right for those three bodies to be represented by only one member. It is an odd suggestion that chiropractors should have the same number of council members as nurses, midwives and health visitors.
I wonder whether the Minister would be prepared to consider the issue between Committee and Report stages because he may have further thoughts on how the council might be more representative. In Europe, the Council of Ministers has a weighted voting system, but that sounds like proportional representation, with which I do not agree.