A workshop was held in person and online to discuss the new WHO Health Practitioner Regulatory Guidance publication. The event was well attended by a global audience, and lively and constructive discussions were the theme of the day.

Professor Brendon Noble, Director of the Institute for Healthy Urban Livin,g chaired the event;

The keynote speaker was Professor Mike Saks (a member of the documents working group and Panel members Alan Clamp, CEO of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), and Marc Seale, former CEO of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Professor Mike Saks is a member of the Technical Expert Group of the World Health Organization that has drawn up the global guidance for health practitioner regulation. He has published widely on health, professions, regulation and responsible leadership – including two dozen books on these subjects. He was a recent President/Vice President of the International Sociological Association Research Committees on Professions and Health. He has also been a member/chair of many NHS and other health committees and has produced health reports for governments and professional bodies. He holds Visiting Chairs at several universities including at the University of Westminster. He has been on the Executive/Board of six universities (including as CEO). He is the current Chair of the Institute for Responsible Leadership and on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Healthy Urban Living.

Panel discussants:

Alan Clamp has for several years been CEO of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) which has broad regulatory oversight over a wide range of health and social care professions in the UK Health and Care. After an initial role as an Ofsted Inspector he became CEO of the Human Tissue Authority and the Secure Industry Authority, a regulator sponsored by the Home Office. He is also a non-executive director at the Parole Board for England and Wales and the Intellectual Property Regulation Board, as well as a trustee of the Institute of Regulation.

Marc Seale was CEO for almost 20 years of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). He built the HCPC up from a small organisation to one of the UK’s largest independent regulators. He was previously a non-executive director on the West London Mental Health NHS Trust. Since he stepped down from the HCPC role he has focused on writing a forthcoming four volume book with Wiley reflecting on changes in the international regulatory landscape, drawing on both research and his long experience in the health professional regulatory sector.

Overview:

Global health practitioner regulation is a critical process that governs the conduct, education, and practice of healthcare workers worldwide. It ensures that healthcare providers meet essential standards of competency, safety, and professionalism, safeguarding public health on a global scale in both urban and other areas.

This Workshop comprised a presentation by Professor Mike Saks of the first ever World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on health practitioner regulation. He has played a key role in drawing up the Guidance based on extensive global research funded by the WHO. This session also provided an opportunity for panellists and participants to discuss the main elements of the WHO global guidance.

Click here to watch the workshop: https://youtu.be/0yLb2b55bfY