News in Brief

UK Health Informatics Professions go public

Those who handle information effectively in and for healthcare organisations are a crucial complement to the clinical professionals who deliver patient care and to the managers who operate and plan healthcare services. The UK Council for Health Informatics Professions (UKCHIP) - the regulatory body for all branches of health informatics in the UK - holds a register of those who voluntarily apply and have been assessed as fit to practise in informatics to support health. Since the end of September 2006, the Register is now open for enquiry by any interested party at www.ukchip.org.
 
The UKCHIP Register presents enquirers with information including the registration level of those who are experienced and qualified at one of three levels. UKCHIP registration is open to all those working for care delivery organisations, commercial solution and service providers and academia.
 
The President of the Council, Dr Glyn Hayes said ‘It is intended that UKCHIP registration will become the currency by which employers will describe the competency level they expect of staff and contractors through job adverts, contract specifications and professional staff development activity’.
 
From its inception in 2002, a Council drawn from key stakeholders and supported by organisations in all the four home countries has been
developing procedures and standards that will ultimately result in mandatory registration of all who operate in health informatics in the UK. To date, over 2,500 people have completed or are going through the registration process. The process recognises vocational time working in the health field and in health informatics in addition to specific qualifications and job role responsibilities. For new entrants to the health field, UKCHIP also has a pre-registration category which can demonstrate to potential employers and clients that the registrant intends to gain an understanding of the unique aspects of the health field and its informatics requirements.
 
UKCHIP discussions with other relevant organisations involved in improving the general professionalism of the IT and information fields will open up the field for suitably competent specialists to have their capability consistently recognised across the public and IT sectors. In this context, UKCHIP is a supporter of the e-skills UK ProfIT programme.

Posted on 16 Oct 2006