Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

Please note that this website has a UK government access keys system.

Responsible officers and their duties relating to the medical profession

  • Launch date:
    23 July 2008
  • Closing date:
    24 October 2008
  • Creator/s:
    Department of Health
  • Copyright holder:
    Crown
  • Gateway number:
    10064

The White Paper 'Trust, Assurance and Safety' set out an ambitious programme for the reform of professional regulation, including the creation of responsible officers. These will be senior doctors with personal responsibility for evaluating the conduct and performance of doctors and making recommendations on their fitness to practise as part of revalidation. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 sets out the legal basis for responsible officers enabling secondary legislation to set out the detail.

This consultation seeks your views on what should be included in that secondary legislation. An expert group representing a wide range of interests including patient, NHS and professional organisations developed the proposals in the document.

The consultation is being held on a UK wide basis, although regulations may be different in different parts of the UK. This is explained in the document.

The closing date for comments is 24 October 2008.

Please see below the consultation document, the Impact Assessment, Equality Impact Assessment, and links to other parts of the professional regulation programme. 

  • Contact:
    Michael Wright
  • Address:
    Quality Strategy Branch
    Room 423, Wellington House
    133-155 Waterloo Road
    London SE1 8UG
  • Phone:
    020 7972 1323

Additional links

Related links

DH Information Charter

This Charter is for anyone who has dealings with the Department of Health whether through correspondence, involvement in consultations or collaborative policy development or if for any other reason we hold personal information about you.

Access keys