Repositioning self regulation

doi:10.1136/bmj.317.7164.964

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The influence of the GMC may be leaking away

Richard Smith, Editor

The British government is to take the power to change in one parliamentary move the legislation governing professional regulatory bodies, including the General Medical Council. At the moment changes require modification of the governing acts by a new act of parliament on each occasion, which involves the full parliamentary procedure of multiple readings and committee stages. Is this proposal to make future changes through an order in parliament simply a tidying up exercise or is it an ominous signal on self regulation?

The government insists that its proposals are benign. Parliamentary time is at a premium. It is thus hard to find time to modify the acts …