« Previous | Contents |
Listen
Footnotes
1 For this project, 'Healthcare Support Workers' are defined as those who provide a direct service - that is, they have a direct influence/effect on patient care/treatment/relationships - to patients and members of the public in the name of NHS Scotland. This would include those in support roles to the healthcare professions (such as care assistants) and those who provide ancillary services (such as porters and mortuary attendants). For ease of definition, any support worker who 'is in contact with a patient in the name of NHS Scotland' and who is not already statutorily regulated, or due to be, would be included. Standards could also be voluntarily adopted by those working in independent or voluntary health care settings.
2 For the purposes of this project, "direct contact" is defined as having a direct influence/effect on patient care/treatment/relationship.
3 The act of regulating an occupational or professional group. Regulation can take a number of forms (statutory/legislative, professional self-regulation, employer-led regulation, individual self-regulation and so on) and focuses on ensuring that members of the occupational or professional group reach and maintain the minimum threshold standard/s that is expected of that occupational or professional group in relation to, for example, conduct, practice, education and competence. The purpose of regulation is protection of the public. Any regulation operates within a broader framework of regulatory procedures, such as complaints and capability procedures, clinical governance and staff governance.
4 'Stakeholders' are defined in this consultation document as individuals or organisations with a particular interest and investment in the subject under consideration.
5 'Patients' is used throughout the code, but you might hear them being called 'service users', 'clients' or 'residents'. Basically, it means any person you come into contact with in your work who needs care.
6 At the time of writing, ongoing work by the Nursing and Midwifery Council ( NMC) has provided a simple definition of good health and good character as being; someone who is capable of safe and effective practice. This may be interpreted in a number of ways according to one's own knowledge and experience of health and character. It is important that Healthcare Support Workers are also capable of safe and effective practice as outlined in paragraphs 3.2.1 to 3.2.13 of this code of conduct and practice for employees. Good Character will normally be assessed initially by employers taking up character references and checking for a satisfactory Disclosure Scotland criminal records check, which, through time, could include a Vetting and Barring Decision.
7 Whistle-blowing is a colloquial term used to describe the process of raising concerns to managers.
8 www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
9 Those who' influence in other ways the patient's outcomes' refers to NHS employees who, for example: provide a telephone service; handle laboratory specimens and test results; transport patients within and outwith NHS premises; promote a clean environment; prepare and serve food.
« Previous | Contents |