Hon. Penn Speaks To Introduction Of Nurses And Midwives Act

B.V.I. Tuesday, February 17 – Minister of Health and Social Development Honourable Dancia Penn, OBE, QC has spoken positively about the introduction of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2009.

The Act was passed by the House of Assembly on 6 January, 2009 and took effect last Thursday, 12 February. Honourable Penn’s statement on the Act’s introduction came during a press conference today.

“It is a very important Act which updates a law that was very old having been first passed in 1976. We now have a modern and improved piece of legislation,” she said.

The Minister further noted that the Nurses and Midwives Act 2009 will seek to better regulate the nursing and midwives professions in the Territory, via the Nurses and Midwives Council that is soon to be appointed. “In the coming days I will be appointing a Nurses and Midwives Council, which is one of the things that the Act provides for,” the Minister said.

The Council will have a total of seven members, three of whom will be appointed by the Minister, one will be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition, and two will be nominated by the BVI Nurses Association. The Chief Nursing Officer will also serve as an ex-officio member.

Among other things, the Council will have the power to register persons who qualify to be nurses, midwives, and nursing assistants in the Virgin Islands. The Council will also be authorised to remove such persons from the register.

The Nurses and Midwives Act 2009 also makes provisions for, among other things, the Nurses and Midwives Council to submit annual reports of its activities to the Minister of Health and Social Development, as well as estimates of revenue and expenditure for approval.

The Act repeals the Nurses, Midwives and Assistant Nurses Registration Ordinance (Cap, 192), which was enacted in 1976. Based on the previous Ordinance, the Governor was given responsibility for administration of the Act. Those responsibilities now fall under the Minister, in accordance with the provisions of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2009.