Medical Discipline The Professional Conduct Jurisdiction of the General Medical Council, 1858-1990

by Smith, Russell G.

• ISBN13: 9780198257950
• ISBN10: 0198257953
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1994-06-30
• Publisher: Clarendon Press

Summary

The current health care crisis in the United States has prompted wide interest in how medical systems around the world regulate themselves. This comprehensive book considers whether or not Britain's General Medical Council of professional conduct jurisdiction acts fairly and justly when dealing both with doctors whose conduct it controls, and members of the public whose interests it was established to protect. By looking at the legal history of the Council since its inception to the present, it is possible to see how the system of medical discipline in Britain developed, to reveal its present anomalies and problems, and to see how best to improve the system, if, indeed, such a system is worthy of preservation. Questions such as the role of lay members on the Council, the use of lawyers and Legal Assessors in hearings, how medical issues are resolved and how standards of conduct are set for the profession, are all considered. Over 2,000 disciplinary cases are then surveyed in terms of the type of allegations made, what sort of doctors are involved, and how they are dealt with. Detailed suggestions are finally made for improving the system.

Author Biography

Russell G. Smith is a Lecturer in the Department of Criminology at the University of Melbourne.

Table of Contents

List of Figures
Lift of Tables
Abbreviations
Table of Cases
Table of Statutes
Table of Statutory Instruments
Table of Parliamentary Debates
Introduction	p. 1
Jurisdiction	p. 19
The Nature of Disciplinary Proceedings	p. 55
A Survey of Cases	p. 97
Sanctions - General Considerations	p. 123
Nature and Use of Specific Sanctions	p. 149
Restoration to the Register	p. 198
Conclusion	p. 221
Appendix	p. 233
Bibliography	p. 367
Index	p. 375
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