Rapid Responses to:

LETTERS: Peter Gooderham On disobeying NICE guidance BMJ 2009; 338: b1198 [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

Guidelines or regulations?

Michael G. Barley, Hove, BN3 6XH   (28 March 2009)

Guidelines or Regulations?

David H Marjot   (3 April 2009)

Guidelines or regulations? 28 March 2009
Michael G. Barley, Retired GP 10 Queen Alexandra Avenue, Hove, BN3 6XH Send response to journal: Re: Guidelines or regulations?	Dr. Peter Gooderham thinks Baroness Young's proposal to use criminal law to enforce guideliness remarkable. I think it is monstrous. At present guidelines are just that - for guidance, and as such they are our servant, not our master, although, to be sure, whether or not guidelines were followed in a particular situation can influence the outcome of litigation, GMC or other disciplinary proceedings. If this appalling piece of nonsense is adopted, then guidelines will cease to be guidelines and become instead regulations, to obeyed on pain of disciplinary or penal sanctions. It will remain to be seen what useful purpose will be served by closing down practices or suspending doctors for failing to make 86-year-olds who feel fine but happen to have cholesterols of 3.9 take statins. Yours sincerely Michael Barley Competing interests: None declared
Guidelines or Regulations? 3 April 2009
David H Marjot, Consultant Psychiatrist 16, Walton Lane, Weybridge, Surrey. KT13 8NF Send response to journal: Re: Guidelines or Regulations?	Guidelines are now de facto regulations. The 2007 Guidelines ' Drug misuse and dependence UK guidelines on clinical managment' contains the following statement on page 8; " They (i.e.the 2007 guidelines) have no specific statutory status. However any clinician not fulfilling the standards and quality of care in the appropriate treatment of drug misusers as set out in these guidelines will have this taken into account if , for any reason, their peformance in this clinical area is assessed.". I fail to see the difference between these guidelines and formal regulations. Drug misuse and dependence UK guidelines on clinical management. 2007.Department of Health, England. Competing interests: None declared