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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.
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.
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
Competing interests: No competing interests