Clause 25 - Regulatory bodies and the Council
NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill
6:15 pm
Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire, Conservative)
The Minister says that nothing would happen if a report were to be laid before Parliament, but that is not the health service commissioner's experience. I am told that it is widely accepted in the health community that that is a powerful tool. Is the Minister seriously suggesting that if a report was laid about one of the health professions' councils, the Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals would not act? Is he really saying that if a report were laid about the GMC, the council would not take that extremely seriously? When those bodies are subject to public criticism they take it seriously; why would they not do so if a report were laid before Parliament?