Health practitioners from four medical fields have joined the chorus of concern over claims that the election for the nursing council may have been rigged.

The Independent Health Practitioners Group, made up of associations from the podiatry, physiotherapy, optometry and speech language pathology professions, said the allegations could damage the integrity of regulatory bodies.

Two nurses filed a judicial protest last week calling on the government not to recognise the result of the election for the nursing council after they claimed a series of irregularities pointed to a rigged vote. The judicial protest was filed by the two unsuccessful candidates – Corinne Ward and Maria Cassar – who demanded a public inquiry into the election.

Health Minister Chris Fearne appointed an inquiry board to investigate the claims.

The Health Practitioners Group welcomed the inquiry and urged the minister to make the findings public. However, it said further measures must be taken to ensure the credibility of the regulatory councils in the health sector.

“Allegations of vote tampering of such an important regulatory body highlight the pressing need for restructuring in the way the voting process of health regulatory councils is carried out since this is based on an outdated system prone to abuse,” the group said.

It also appealed to the authorities to provide regulatory councils with the necessary resources and financial investment to move ahead with the reform after a consultation exercise with the professionals involved.

“The restructuring should go beyond revision in voting methods, as specifically required for each health regulatory council in an effort to bring them at par with their international European counterparts,” the group said.

The Medical Association of Malta had also expressed concern over the allegations, cautioning that they could have implications in the EU, which could even get involved and stop the mutual recognition of degrees.