Abstract
In 2012, medical regulation in the United Kingdom was fundamentally changed by the introduction of revalidation – a process by which all licensed doctors are required to regularly demonstrate that they are up to date and fit to practice in their chosen field and are able to provide a good level of care. This paper examines the implications of revalidation on the structure, governance, and performance management of the medical profession, as well as how it has changed the relationships between the regulator, employer organizations, and the profession. We conducted semi-structured interviews with clinical and non-clinical staff from a range of healthcare organizations. Our research suggests that organizations have become intermediaries in the relationship between the General Medical Council and doctors, enacting regulatory processes on its behalf and extending regulatory surveillance and oversight at local level. Doctors’ autonomy has been reduced as they have become more accountable to and reliant on the organizations that employ them.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 593-608 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Regulation and Governance |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This paper is an output from independent research commissioned and funded by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme (PR-R9-0114-11002 Evaluating the development of medical revalidation in England and its impact on organizational performance and medical practice). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Authors. Regulation & Governance Published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
Keywords
- accountability
- health services
- medicine
- professionalism
- regulatory governance
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
- Public Administration
- Law