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Medical Act 1858
Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Medical Act (21 & 22 Vict. c. 90), An Act to Regulate the Qualifications of Practitioners in Medicine and Surgery, also referred to as the Medical Act 1858,[1][2][3] is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the General Medical Council to regulate doctors in the UK. It is one of the Medical Acts.[4] Describing its purpose, the Act notes that "it is expedient that Persons requiring Medical Aid should be enabled to distinguish qualified from unqualified Practitioners".[5]
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| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to Regulate the Qualifications of Practitioners in Medicine and Surgery. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 21 & 22 Vict. c. 90 |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 August 1858 |
| Commencement | 1 October 1858[b] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by |
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Status: Partially repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
| Text of the Medical Act 1858 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The act creates the position of Registrar of the General Medical Council – an office still in existence today – whose duty is to keep up-to-date records of those registered to practise medicine and to make them publicly available.
The act has now been almost entirely repealed.[6] The current law governing medical regulation is the Medical Act 1983.[7]
Under the Poor Law system Board of guardians could only employ those qualified in medicine and surgery as Poor Law Doctors.[8]
Under a clause in the act that recognised doctors with foreign degrees practising in Britain, Elizabeth Blackwell was able to become the first woman to have her name entered on the Medical Register (1 January 1859).[9] The act also enabled the Royal College of Surgeons of England to be given a new charter allowing them conduct dental examinations.[10]
Subsequent developments
Sections 2–46 and 55 of, and schedules (A) and (D) to, the act were repealed by section 57(1) of, and the fifth schedule to, the Medical Act 1956 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 76), which came into force on 1 January 1957.[11]