Exploring the legal, ethical, and public administration implications of the governance of healthcare professions: Ukraine and UK
Project Team
Edinburgh
Dr Annie Sorbie, Dr Mark Hellowell, Dr Edward Dove and Ms Ruby Reed-Berendt
KNU
Funding
Edinburgh - KNU grant, Edinburgh Global
About the project
Despite the ongoing brutal war, the government of Ukraine is moving ahead with transformational health sector reforms aimed at ensuring the right to health. For example, an NHS-like financing structure has been introduced (called the NHS Ukraine, or ‘NHSU’). However, the surrounding institutional architecture requires further enrichment and reinforcement. This has led to a focus among policy makers and scholars on the legal and policy apparatus within which health care professionals operate. There is a need to empower healthcare professionals and patients through regulation in order to improve health coverage and patient safety. This funded project is aimed at exploring the legal, ethical, and public administration implications of the current Ukrainian legislative agenda in relation to the introduction of a regime for the self-governance of healthcare professions.
Seminar
As part of a pioneering twinning initiative with Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU), the University of Edinburgh (UoE) hosted an online seminar on 20th July 2023, entitled: “Exploring the legal, ethical, and public administration implications of the governance of healthcare professions: Ukraine and UK”. The purpose of the seminar was to discuss the current legislative proposals on self- governance of healthcare professionals un Ukraine, to share insights between participants, and to consider opportunities for international learning and exchange. This culminated in a rich and engaging discussion which provided important reflections on the regulatory journey of Ukraine and the UK. The seminar was attended by stakeholders involved in the legislative process in Ukraine, including parliamentarians, medical associations, patient representatives and civil society organisations, as well as UK regulatory stakeholders. A report summarising key themes of the day, alongside policy options for the further development of the legislation, will be published in due course.
Policy brief
The team published the policy brief: ‘Towards Self Governance for Healthcare Professions in Ukraine’. This reflects findings from a jointly hosted seminar, which brought together legislators, regulatory stakeholders, patient and professional advocacy groups and academics, from Ukraine and the UK, to discuss a draft Bill which aims to deliver a mandatory framework for the self-governance of healthcare professions (including doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical professions and allied health professions).
