2026-0013

HEALTH PRACTICE (AMENDMENT) BILL,

A BILL FOR AN ACT TO AMEND THE HEALTH PRACTICE ACT (2026 REVISION) TO EMPOWER THE CABINET TO PRESCRIBE STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE THAT APPLY TO EVERY REGISTERED FOR INCIDENTAL AND CONNECTED PURPOSES

PUBLISHING DETAILS Sponsoring Ministry/Portfolio: Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability

Objects and Reasons

Memorandum of OBJECTS AND REASONS This Bill amends the Health Practice Act (2026 Revision) to empower the Cabinet to prescribe standards for professional practice that apply to every registered practitioner and for incidental and connected purposes Clause 1 provides for the short title of the legislation. Clause 2 provides for the amendment of section 35 of the Health Practice Act (2026 Revision) to empower the Cabinet to prescribe standards of professional practice that apply to every registered practitioner. The amendment also provides that the standards of professional practice shall be in respect of the following matters — (a) professional responsibilities and clinical practice; (b) licensing, performance and scope of practice; (c) clinical practice; (d) consent and capacity to consent; (e) prescribing and handling medicine; (f) clinical trials and research; (g) patient related standards; (h) safety; (i) trust, honesty and integrity; and (j) any other matter related to standards of professional practice that apply to registered practitioners as the Cabinet considers necessary. Clause 2 also provides that where there is a conflict between the professional standards set out in regulations and a code prepared by a Council, the professional standards set out in regulations shall apply to the extent of the inconsistency.

Clause 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT TO AMEND THE HEALTH PRACTICE ACT (2026 REVISION) TO EMPOWER THE CABINET TO PRESCRIBE STANDARDS FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE THAT APPLY TO EVERY REGISTERED FOR INCIDENTAL AND CONNECTED PURPOSES ENACTED by the Legislature of the Cayman Islands. Short title This Act may be cited as the Health Practice (Amendment) Act, 2026. Amendment of section 35 of the Health Practice Act (2026 Revision) - codes of standards of professional practice The Health Practice Act (2026 Revision) is amended in section 35 as follows — (a) by deleting the section heading and substituting the following section heading — “Standards of professional practice”; and (b) by repealing subsection (1) and substituting the following subsections — “(1) The Cabinet may, by regulations, prescribe standards of professional practice (“the professional standards”) that apply to every registered

Clause 2

(1A) The professional standards under subsection (1) shall set out the guidelines for registered practitioners to observe in respect of the following matters — (a) professional responsibilities and clinical practice; (b) licensing, performance and scope of practice; (c) clinical practice; (d) consent and capacity to consent; (e) prescribing and handling medicine; (f) clinical trials and research; (g) patient related standards; (h) safety; (i) trust, honesty and integrity; and (j) any other matter related to standards of professional practice that apply to registered practitioners as the Cabinet considers necessary. (1B) Notwithstanding subsection (1), every Council shall prepare and publish a code of standards of professional practice (“the code”) for members of the profession regulated by the respective Council but where there is a conflict between the professional standards set out in regulations and a code, the professional standards set out in regulations shall apply to the extent of the inconsistency.”. Passed by the Parliament the day of Speaker Clerk of the Parliament