Website of the Department of Health

Healthcare professional regulation: Public consultation on proposals for change

This consultation paper seeks views on the proposals put forward by the Chief Medical Officer in Good doctors, safer patients, and upon the options outlined in the parallel review of non-medical regulation

Following the publication of The Shipman Inquiry: fifth report in December 2004, which was highly critical of the General Medical Council and the broader arrangements for medical regulation, Lord Warner commissioned a review of medical regulation. Shortly thereafter, the Department of Health elected to conduct a parallel review of the arrangements in place for the regulation of the other clinical professions in order to provide consistency of approach and in recognition of the blurring of traditional job roles in healthcare.

The review of medical regulation was conducted by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England. His report, Good doctors, safer patients, along with the parallel departmental review of non-medical regulation, focuses upon the protection of the interests and safety of patients.

Among the key themes raised in the two reports are: changes to the governance and accountability of the professional regulators; the importance of operationalised standards against which to regulate; the appropriate legal standard of proof; the introduction of an independent adjudicator; a spectrum of revalidation across all clinical professions; and, devolution of some regulatory powers to the local level. 

The Department of Health now invites views and comments on the proposals put forward by the Chief Medical Officer in Good doctors, safer patients, and upon the options outlined in the parallel review of non-medical regulation.

Although the Secretary of State for Health is consulting on a UK-wide basis, you may wish to copy comments to the health departments of the devolved administrations which have been asked to provide advice and comments to the Secretary of State to the same timescale.

• Download Healthcare professional regulation: Public consultation on proposals for change (PDF, 789K)
• Good doctors, safer patients: Proposals to strengthen the system to assure and improve the performance of doctors and to protect the safety of patients
• The regulation of the non-medical healthcare professions: a review by the Department of Health