After Bristol Changes in how Britain’s doctors regulate themselves seem likely to follow the General Medical Council’s finding of serious professional misconduct against three doctors in June 1998. The charges relate to paediatric cardiothoracic operations carried out between 1988 and 1995 at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. A former senior surgeon and medical director of the hospital, James Wisheart, and Dr John Roylance, former chief executive of United Bristol Healthcare Trust, were struck off the medical register, while a second surgeon, Janardan Dhasmana, was found guilty of serious professional misconduct but was not struck off.  The GMC’s inquiry - the longest and most complicated in its history- examined the cases of 53 babies and young children of whom 29 died and 4 were left brain damaged.  The GMC found that the two surgeons disregarded warnings that their death rates were unacceptably high and continued to operate on babies and children with heart defects. The hospital manager was found guilty of failing to stop the operations after other consultants and the Department of Health had drawn the high mortality and morbidity to his attention.  After the GMC’s decision, the government announced a public inquiry to be chaired by Professor Ian Kennedy. According to health secretary Frank Dobson, the inquiry will get to the bottom of what went wrong, with all the facts exposed and responsibilities identified. It will make recommendations to safeguard patients and their families in future. 6 June Dealing with problem doctors - a special theme issue dealing with the fallout from Bristol 27 June British doctors found guilty of serious professional misconduct  (news story by Clare Dyer) All changed, changed utterly (editorial by Richard Smith) 19 September A series of letters published in response to the issues of  6 and 27 June 5 December A further series of articles on Bristol, including Richard Smith’s editorial, Regulation of doctors and the Bristol inquiry Click here to read the claim of the Bristol inquiry’s press officer that paediatrician Dr Nick Barnes had never been appointed to the inquiry. Click here to read the BMJ editor’s response to this To find rapid responses to any article select the "Electronic responses to this article" option in the contents box in the top right hand corner of the article in question. Bristol Inquiry website: http://www.Bristol-Inquiry.org.uk/bristol.htm