Introduction from Stephen Shaw, Chief Executive
This is the first of a series of monthly OHPA Updates that we will share with friends and colleagues in the run-up to our go-live date on 1 April 2011. We have made great progress in planning for the transfer of the GMC’s adjudicatory functions, in a spirit of partnership with both the GMC and the Department of Health. But the programme is tight and not without its risks, and it is critical that we maintain an open dialogue with all interested parties. Feedback about anything in this first issue would therefore be most welcome.
I have only been Chief Executive for a few weeks, but it is interesting how the debate around OHPA has changed in that short time. Of course, the principle that the same body should not be responsible for both the investigation and adjudication of fitness to practise cases remains a strong one. After all, we don’t allow the police or the Crown Prosecution Service to run the courts and public confidence in healthcare regulation will be much enhanced when fitness to practise hearings are fully independent. But there will also be strong cost and efficiency savings to be realised from the OHPA approach. Once we have our final rules in place, we anticipate that hearings will be speedier, more proportionate, and a good deal less expensive than at present.
The setting up of OHPA thus offers tangible benefits to the GMC and to the medical profession as a whole. And further economies of scale will follow as and when other regulators join up with OHPA in the future.
The story so far
With ten months to go before OHPA becomes a fully functioning body, activity is hotting up to make sure everything is in place for day one. OHPA was established as a separate legal entity on 25 January, and the transition team have been working hard to build the infrastructure of the new organisation and ensure the policies and procedures needed to operate successfully are in place.
The new board, chaired by Walter Merricks, has made decisions on what will happen on day one – offices and hearing rooms will be located in Manchester and London, a separate IT system will be in place, and adapted transitional rules will take the organisation through the changeover period.
They have also looked at what OHPA wants to be in the future and, through research and more informal engagement, have started to form a picture of how adjudication can develop in the years ahead.
Although we are still in temporary accommodation with temporary IT and temporary staff, OHPA is already taking shape under the strict governance and watchful eyes of the Department of Health, GMC, GOC and other interested parties.
Our annual report, which will be laid before Parliament next month, outlines the huge strides forward in the first 65 days of activity while the corporate plan published in August will show how we plan to move forward to ensure successful delivery.
We want to know what you think
We would very much like to hear your ideas for the future of OHPA. Later this summer, we will be consulting on our transitional procedural rules. These rules will be an adapted version of the current GMC rules ensuring a smooth transition and no disruption or time lag to the service provided. This consultation will look very familiar to you and we encourage you to take the few minutes to look through and respond to let us know that what we propose is realistic.
Perhaps, of more interest will be what we plan for the OHPA of the future – what we will look like after the transition.
Our over-riding objective remains to deal with cases in a way that is proportionate whilst avoiding unnecessary cost and delay. Through the Health and Social Care Act 2008, we will have more powers to change than the GMC currently enjoys and we would appreciate your responses on how we plan to use these powers to shape adjudication in the future.
We will be examining ways to reduce hearing length, reduce the cost of hearings, and looking at potential steps that can be taken to improve efficiency. Your responses to our ambitions consultation will do much to help shape the future of independent adjudication.
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