Regulations on a voluntary registration system for healers No. 877/2006

No. 877/2006

Art. 1

Purpose

The registration system for healers is intended to conduce to the safety of those who seek or use healers’ health-related services, and to ensure the quality of the services as far as possible. In addition the registration system is to intended to conduce to responsible services and business practices on the part of healers.

Art. 2

Voluntary registration

The Federation of Icelandic Healers will establish and operate a registration system on which healers may request registration. In order to be registered, the healer in question must be a member of a professional association which has been granted affiliation to the registration system as provided in art. 3 of these regulations, and also fulfil the criteria provided in art. 5.

Should a healer who is not a member of a professional association request registration, he/she may be registered, provided that he/she fulfils the standards of training for the professional association to which he/she would belong, has agreed to abide by the resolutions specified in items 1-7, art. 3 of these regulations, and also fulfils the criteria specified in art. 5. Should no professional organisation exist in his/her field of work, the healer shall fulfil the standards of the professional organisation whose training standards are most similar to the training of the healer in question.

The Federation of Icelandic Healers shall normally ensure that the public has easy access to accurate information on which healers are registered at any time on the healers’ registration system, and on their field of work.

Art. 3

Conditions for affiliation of a professional association to the registration system

Having received an application and the recommendations of the Director of Health and the Federation of Icelandic Healers, the Minister of Health and Social Security can authorise the affiliation of a professional association to the voluntary registration system provided in art. 2, on condition that the association has confirmed:

1. resolutions on training and professional criteria for individuals who apply to be members,
2. resolutions providing for a code of ethics with which members must comply in their work,
3. resolutions whereby members undertake to operate their business responsibly,
4. resolutions whereby members undertake to provide clients with all necessary information regarding their activities,
5. resolutions whereby members undertake to maintain confidentiality regarding all information on the client and his/her health,
6. that the articles of association of professional associations include provisions on recording data on health-related services provided to individuals,
7. resolutions whereby the right of the client to make a complaint regarding the professional work of members is ensured; such complaints shall be handled by the ethics committee of the professional association, or by a special complaints board, to be appointed,
8. resolutions whereby members may be expelled from the association in accord with further rules of procedure issued in this regard,
9. that the professional association is registered with an identity number.

The Minister of Health and Social Security will notify the Federation of Icelandic Healers of those professional associations which have been granted affiliation to the registration system in accord with the provisions of this article.

Art. 4

Obligations of professional associations
which have been granted affiliation to the registration system

A professional association which has been granted affiliation to the registration system in accord with art. 3 is duty bound to send notification immediately to the Federation of Icelandic Healers if a registered member no longer fulfils the criteria for registration.

Art. 5

Conditions for registration of healers

The Federation of Icelandic Healers will register a healer providing health-related services if:

1. The healer in question has completed studies equivalent to a minimum of six credits in anatomy and physiology, five credits in pathology and two credits in ethics and health legislation. This refers to credits at the upper-secondary-school level. The healer must also have completed practical training under the guidance of a recognised instructor in accord with the standards of the professional association for his/her field of work.
2.  
   1. Documentary confirmation is submitted that the healer is a full member of a professional association which has been recognised under art. 3, and that the association recommends that he/she be registered.
      Or
   2. Documentary confirmation is submitted that he/she has agreed to abide by the resolutions provided in items 1-7, art. 3 of these Regulations, the Director of Health and the Federation of Icelandic Healers recommend his/her registration, and the person in question has signed a declaration that he/she will submit to the monitoring of the Director of Health and the Federation of Icelandic Healers.
3. The healer in question has submitted confirmation that he/she holds valid professional indemnity insurance as provided in Regulations on healers’ professional indemnity insurance, no. 876/2006, for the financial liability which could arise vis-à-vis clients through his/her work as a healer.
4. The healer has provided details of his/her identity number, name, permanent address and place(s) of business, as applicable.
5. The healer has stated the field(s) of work, as applicable for which he/she requests to be registered.

Refusal to register a healer can be appealed to the Ministry of Health and Social Security.

Art. 6

Obligations of registered healers

A registered healer must:

1. Send confirmation each year to the Federation of Icelandic Healers that he/she has valid indemnity insurance in accord with the provisions of item 3 art. 5.
2. Notify the Federation of Icelandic Healers immediately if the criteria for registration as stated in art. 5 are no longer fulfilled, or if the person in question no longer wishes to be registered.

Art. 7

Registration fee

On registration the healer shall pay to the Federation of Icelandic Healers a special registration fee to meet the costs of running the registration system. The Federation determines the amount of the registration fee, which is subject to confirmation by the Minister.

Art. 8

Revocation of registration

If a healer no longer meets the criteria for registration as provided in these regulations, the Federation of Icelandic Healers shall remove him/her from the register. Revocation of registration may be appealed to the Ministry of Health and Social Security.

In special circumstances the Minister of Health and Social Security can, on receiving recommendations from the Director of Health or the Federation of Icelandic Healers, decide that a healer shall be removed from the register, despite criteria for registration being met. This may apply if a healer commits an offence against the Healers Act, or if he/she performs some other action in his/her work which is contrary to good practice.

The registered person shall be afforded the opportunity to express his/her views on the deregistration under paras. 1 and 2 before the final decision is made.

A healer who has been removed from the register in accord with para. 1 can be registered again if he/she demonstrates that he/she once again meets the criteria for registration. He/she shall pay a new registration fee as provided in art. 7.

A healer who has been removed from the register under para. 2 can be registered again on receipt of recommendations from the Director of Health and the Federation of Icelandic Healers, if he/she demonstrates that the grounds for deregistration no longer apply.

Art. 9

Data in the registration system and provision of information

The healers’ registration system shall contain information on:

1. Name, address and identity number of the registered healer, see art. 5,
2. Date of healer completing his/her training, and of first being registered in the system,
3. Registration numbers, names and addresses of the recognised professional associations whose members are registered in the registration system, see art. 3,
4. Field(s) of work of the registered person and place(s) of business, as applicable.

Everyone is entitled to ascertain who are registered healers, and the public shall have access to the information specified in items 1 to 4 above, except information on the address and identity number of the relevant healer.

Art. 10

Temporary provision

The Federation of Icelandic Healers may register a healer on the registration system who fulfils the criteria of these regulations with the exception of the training criteria stated in item 1 art. 5. This authority is conditional upon the applicant having completed studies in the field of work for which he/she requests to be registered at least two years before these Regulations take effect. The authority granted to the Federation of Icelandic Healers under this provision will expire one year after these Regulations take effect.

Art. 11

Entry into force

These regulations, issued on authority provided in para. 3 art. 3 of the Healers Act no. 34/2005, shall take effect immediately.

Ministry of Health and Social Security, 9 October 2006

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