Medical Act 1983

5 General functions of the Education Committee in relation to medical education in the United Kingdom. U.K.

(1) The Education Committee shall have the general function of promoting high standards of medical education and co-ordinating all stages of medical education.

(2) For the purpose of discharging that function the Education Committee shall—

(a) determine the extent of the knowledge and skill which is to be required for the granting of primary United Kingdom qualifications and secure that the instruction given in universities in the United Kingdom to persons studying for such qualifications is sufficient to equip them with knowledge and skill of that extent;

(b) determine the standard of proficiency which is to be required from candidates at qualifying examinations and secure the maintenance of that standard; and

(c) determine patterns of experience which may be recognised as suitable for giving to those engaging in such employment as is mentioned in section 10(2) below general clinical training for the purposes of the practice of their profession.

[F1 (2A) In making the determinations required by subsection (2) above, the Education Committee shall secure that the requirements of article 23 of Directive 93/16/EEC are satisfied.

(2B) The requirements of that article are that any person who fulfils the conditions mentioned in section 3(1)(a) above—

(a) will have acquired—

(i) adequate knowledge of the sciences on which medicine is based and a good understanding of the scientific methods including the principles of measuring biological functions, the evaluation of scientifically established facts and the analysis of data,

(ii) sufficient understanding of the structure, functions and behaviour of healthy and sick persons, as well as relations between the state of health and physical and social surroundings of the human being,

(iii) adequate knowledge of clinical disciplines and practices, providing him with a coherent picture of mental and physical diseases, of medicine from the points of view of prophylaxis, diagnosis and therapy and of human reproduction, and

(iv) suitable clinical experience in hospitals under appropriate supervision; and

(b) will have undergone medical training comprising at least a six-year course, or 5,500 hours of theoretical and practical instruction, which—

(i) was given in a university or under the supervision of a university, and

(ii) was open only to persons holding qualifications adequate for admission to university for such training.]

(3) The determinations of the Education Committee under subsection (2) above shall be embodied in recommendations which may be directed to all or any of the universities or other bodies concerned with medical education.

(4) In this Act—

[F2 “Directive 93/16/EEC” means Council Directive 93/16/EEC of 5 April 1993 to facilitate the free movement of doctors and the mutual recognition of their diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications—

(a)

as adapted by paragraph 4(a) of Annex VII to the EEA Agreement, in which the primary medical qualifications awarded in EEA States are set out; and

(b)

as amended by the Act annexed to the Treaty relating to the accession of the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union, signed at Corfu on 24th June 1994 M1 , as adjusted by the Decision of the Council of the European Union of 1st January 1995 adjusting the instruments concerning the accession of new member States to the European Union M2 ;]

• “the prescribed knowledge and skill” means knowledge and skill of the extent for the time being determined under subsection (2)(a) above and embodied in recommendations under subsection (3) above;

• “the prescribed standard of proficiency” means the standard of proficiency for the time being determined under subsection (2)(b) above and embodied in recommendations under subsection (3) above;

• “a prescribed pattern of experience” means any pattern of experience for the time being determined under subsection (2)(c) above and embodied in recommendations under subsection (3) above.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 5(2A)(2B) inserted (10.7.1996) by S.I. 1996/1591, reg. 3(2)

F2 Definition in s. 5(4) inserted (10.7.1996) by S.I. 1996/1591, reg. 3(3)

Marginal Citations

M1 OJ No C241, 29.8.94, p.21. Norway did not ratify the Treaty.

M2 OJ No L1, 1.1.95, p.1. See the Annex (XI)(D)(III) (1).