Big Fine as More insurance, Stricter rules proposed in Health Policy

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, September 19, 2023 – More insurance and stricter rules for reporting misconduct are what the Government wants to put in place for health workers as they seek to amend the Health Professions Ordinance.

A draft document shared with the public detailed the proposed changes.  Now any licensed registered practitioner who wishes to practice medicine in the country will have to have insurance to cover every facility they are attached to.

“If a licensed registered practitioner is or is to be employed by more than one health care facility, [they] shall have adequate insurance to cover each health care facility he will be practicing at,” the document says.

It is not uncommon for health workers to be required to have insurance.  It provides coverage for them for any potential liability from cases involving disputed services that result in the injury or death of a patient.

Without this insurance, councils are not permitted to issue a license according to the ordinance.

The Government also wants to make sure that no employer is hiding any wrongdoing by making them duty-bound to reveal misconduct.

“A licensed registered practitioner who is aware or becomes aware of a professional misconduct by a person under his employment or supervision, or any serious action taken against that other person shall make a report to a council,” the proposed amendments indicate.

Failure to do this could result in a $5,000 fine.

If that misconduct veers into criminal territory, the respective councils (the Medicine and Dentistry Professions Council; the Nursing and Midwifery Professions Council; and the Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy Professions Council) are also now duty-bound to involve the police.

The TCIG shared the bill proposing these and other changes on July 31st.  The consultation period for the proposed amendments to the bill ended in August.