Working together for safe health services

HSE press release: E007-04 - 15 January 2004

The Health and Safety Executive and the General Medical Council today signed a Memorandum of Understanding which codifies their commitment to working together in the interests of patients and everyone involved in delivering health services.

The MoU is an agreed framework for co-operation and collaboration between the two bodies, both of which have statutory duties to protect the well-being of the community. The Memorandum sets out the respective roles and responsibilities of the organisations and establishes a mechanism for sharing intelligence and expertise on general approaches and intitiatives as well as on specific inquiries.

In a joint statement, Timothy Walker, Director General of the Health and Safety Executive and Finlay Scott, Chief Executive of the GMC, said: 'The clarity and transparency of our respective roles and responsibilities are crucial to the safety and well-being of those who are affected. This agreement should ensure effective partnerships between our organisations.'

Editors' notes:

1. The Memorandum of Understanding has been developed to facilitate co-ordination and co-operation between the two organisations on health and safety issues in health care in England, Scotland and Wales.

2. The roles, functions and regulatory responsibilities of the organisations involved are explained in the Memorandum. The agreement underpins work already undertaken by the HSE and GMC to liaise closely, communicate regularly and reach agreement on the most appropriate action on specific issues. It will also help people across the healthcare profession to understand how the two organisations work and interact.

3. The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for the enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc (HSWA) 1974 throughout Great Britain. Its mission is to protect people's health and safety by ensuring risks in the changing work place are properly controlled.

4. The GMC is a statutory body responsible for regulating the medical profession in the United Kingdom. The law gives the GMC four main functions:

• Keeping up to date registers of qualified doctors
• Fostering good medical practice
• Promoting high standards of medical education
• Dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt

5. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Health and Safety Executive and the General Medical Council can be seen at http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/howwework/framework/mou/gmc-mou.pdf [125kb]

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