NMC Responds To EU Directive On Cross Border Healthcare, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 04 Jul 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the regulator for all nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, has responded to the adoption of the EU Directive on the application of patients' rights in cross border healthcare. The draft Directive clarifies the circumstances under which EU patients can expect to be reimbursed, by their home country, for healthcare sought in another Member State.

The NMC welcomes the publication of this proposal, and stresses that in order for patient safety to be assured, regulators and healthcare providers across the EU must co-operate more closely in future.

The NMC therefore urges the Commission to take an active role in establishing formal systems of co-operation between regulators. We are particularly concerned that the Commission establish a clear system of redress for patients who have received unsatisfactory care in another Member State.

The NMC would also like to see the Commission taking further steps to compel competent authorities to share information about nurses and midwives who are, or have been, subject to disciplinary proceedings. We would like all regulators to be required to inform their EU colleagues proactively when professionals have been struck off - especially in cases where there is reason to believe that a nurse or midwife may be planning to relocate to another EU country.

We urge the Commission to put patient safety above all other considerations when drafting legislation regarding healthcare.

Finally, the NMC would welcome clarification from the Commission that this new proposal will compel relevant authorities in other EU Member States to recognise prescriptions signed by authorised prescribers on the NMC's register. The UK is among only a small number of EU countries to train nurse and midwife prescribers.

Kathy George, NMC Assistant Registrar and Director of Standards and Registrations, said:

"Patients must be assured that the care they receive from nurses and midwives, whether at home or abroad is safe, professional and competent at all times. The European Commission plays a key role in making sure this will be the case in future".

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. The primary purpose of the NMC is protection of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses eligible to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct. Currently the number of registrants exceeds 677,000. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (The Order), sets out the NMC's role and responsibilities.

Nursing and Midwifery Council