Beschreibung:
<jats:p> In the wake of the events at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, the Harold Shipman case and numerous other examples of doctor malpractice assiduously pursued by an attentive media, medical regulation is now fully politicised. In the context of the raft of policies produced in response to this situation, and in the light of international experience, this article analyses the system power play which will determine by and for whom regulation is organised. In so doing, the analysis considers the impact of the rise of the active citizen/consumer, the decline of medical authority, the internal organisation of the medical profession, and the delicate position of the state as guardian of the public interest. The article concludes by reviewing the political criteria necessary for a sustainable solution. </jats:p>