In December my second and final term as a member of the NMBI will come to an end. For the last five years I have been both a member and the Chairman of the Registration Committee, and now that my tenure is concluding, I want to reflect some of the many matters that the committee has considered during that time.

The terms of reference of the Registration Committee include the consideration and approval of registration policies and requirements as well as providing oversight on the performance and efficiency of the registration process within NMBI. The committee is also required to consider matters that are referred to it for consideration or decision, such as qualifications assessment or registration related appeals. 

When I first joined the committee I remember that the majority of our time was spent considering applications for registration in advanced divisions and making decisions on registration appeals. As time progressed however, the committee focused more on strategic developments and policy-related matters that would bring consistency to the registration process, provide information to registrants and further ensure public safety. Despite the many challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the committee has continued with its busy workload throughout 2020.

Quality and standards

In 2018 the committee approved a new suite of registration rules and oversaw the disbandment of the inactive file. In that year we also implemented the requirement of applicants for registration to meet revised English language requirements. The committee also approved an important mechanism where identified shortfalls in the qualifications of overseas applicants could be mitigated through the demonstration of the missing competencies in post-qualification employment.

MyNMBI

The single biggest project undertaken during my time as a member of NMBI was ‘Project Nightingale’ which involved the development of the new registration management system we now know as MyNMBI. The committee was actively involved in all aspects of this vital project and regular updates on its progress were given to it. We also approved a number of protocols that would be implemented as a part of the new system. In 2019, we focused on developing quality assurance processes and started to consider registration-related risks on an ongoing basis.   

Language requirements

With an increasing number of overseas applicants, we reconsidered the language requirements in 2020, and decided to align our requirements with other health professional regulators both nationally and internationally. The committee approved the formation of a Fit and Proper Panel to consider applicant disclosures and the procedures and criteria that would be followed when considering a health or character disclosure made by an applicant for registration. The committee also approved detailed policies for dealing with fraudulent applications.

Appeals

Throughout my tenure, the committee has considered many appeals, such as where applicants appealed against the failure of a compensation measure (adaptation period or aptitude test) or were appealing a decision not to grant them registration on other grounds.

Over time I noted that the committee had limited options when dealing with certain appeals against failed compensation measures. I therefore requested that a paper be developed to give applicants detailed information on the appeals process itself, and the role of the registration committee in it. This paper was subsequently approved by the committee and applicants with negative registration decisions are now directed to this paper which is provided on the NMBI website at the point when they are considering the submission of an appeal.

The future

I leave the committee at a very exciting time as the NMBI starts to process registration applications that are entirely electronic or digital. I note that this creates new challenges and requirements for further policies and validation methods not previously undertaken. I am confident that thanks to the work done so far by the Registration Committee it will embrace these new challenges to ensure the robustness of the registration process and ensure patient safety.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my Registration Committee members for their hard work, especially in dealing with the many challenges arising from the current pandemic. I especially want to thank the outgoing Director of Registration, Colm O’Leary who will soon be taking up the role as Director of Regulation in NMBI. I also want to thank my fellow Board member Martin Higgins (who joined the committee at a similar time to me) who is also completing his tenure in December. And finally, to you our registrants, I would like to say that while the five years have been busy it has been an absolute honour to work on your behalf.

I hope the next year is kind to you, take care of yourselves.

Sincerely,

Dermot Manning,

Outgoing Board Member and Chairman of the NMBI Registration Committee