Professional regulation. Part 5: Bristol Inquiry and the Kennedy report

The connection was previously made between Government-sponsored reports (JM Consulting) and a theoretical model of regulation (National Consumer Council). The proximity of several events has been alluded to and a central event in the sequence of debate is the subject of this article: the Bristol Inquiry. It is intended that, although the focus of the article is on the Bristol events, the consequences will be presented as leading into the next article, where the current collection of legislation is now revealed and in the public domain. In addition, the connection will be made (in preparation for later articles) between the events that were the subject of Bristol (the behaviours of a few doctors) and the emergence of the overarching body: the Centre of Regulation for Healthcare Excellence (CHRE). This will be explored in the context of connections with, and the dominance of, the CHRE over the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), where the issue of regulation and NMC status as a professional regulator will be explored.