Website of the Department of Health

Consultation on the Health Care and Associated Professions Order 2008

The White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety – The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century set out a substantial programme of reform to the United Kingdom’s system for the regulation of health care professionals, based on consultation on the two reviews mentioned above. This was complemented by Safeguarding Patients, the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Fifth Report of the Shipman Inquiry and to the recommendations of the Ayling, Neale and Kerr/Haslam Inquiries, which sets out a range of measures to improve and enhance clinical governance in the NHS.

The Health Care and Associated Professions Order is the first in a series of Orders that will take forward the reforms identified in the White Paper. This Order concentrates on the reforms set out in Chapter One of the White Paper (Assuring independence: the governance and accountability of the professional regulators) but also includes measures that are required to deliver other legislative requirements and some items that have been identified by the regulators as needing urgent reform. It applies to the General Medical Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Chiropractic Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It is published in draft under the terms of the Health Act 1999.

This consultation seeks your views on the draft legislation. Responses should be submitted by 22 February 2008.

• Download consultation paper (PDF, 540K)
• Download impact assessment (PDF, 75K)
• On-line consultation response questionnaire (opens new window)
• Download response form (RTF, 38K)