The review body's remit should not be changed

GPs have reacted strongly to what they see as a unilateral change in the remit of the doctors' and dentists' review body. At its first meeting last week the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) (formerly the General Medical Services Committee) was annoyed that the profession was being used as a regulator of the economy.

Following the comprehensive spending review (p 231) the review bodies have been told that in future their recommendations should take into account the service improvements that the government wants to achieve, the resources available to the NHS, and the government's inflation target, as well as recruitment and retention. In future the review bodies will report to departmental ministers and not the prime minister. In a letter to the review body chairmen, the prime minister said that he remained committed to the review body system and valued the independent advice received.

The chairman of council, Dr Ian Bogle, told the GPC that he planned to meet the chairman of the doctors' review body. Last year the review body …