The Joint Medical Consultative Council provides a valuable forum for doctors to discuss issues of topical interest and to engage with the Department of Health.  The Council’s broad membership enables it to offer informed comment on a range of issues affecting the delivery of health care, the maintenance of clinical and professional standards, medical education and research.

The full meetings of the Council are held every three months and offer the membership the opportunity to share views on current policy developments.  During the afternoon sessions of these meetings, the Council is joined by representatives of the English Department of Health.  This provides the Chief Medical Officer and his team with an opportunity to keep senior representatives of the profession informed about Departmental policies and planning.  Crucially, it also provides the Departmental team with direct feedback about the operation of the health services.  In addition, the afternoon session has been used to debate strategic developments in greater depth.  Issues considered in the recent past have included the European Working Time Directive, Modernising Medical Careers and the reports of the Shipman Inquiry.  Topics to be discussed in the near future include the changing roles of health professionals, the implications of a patient-led NHS and the forthcoming White Paper on out-of-hospital care.

Within the past year the Council has set up complementary liaison groups with the NHS Confederation and with representatives of general practice in order to further encourage constructive engagement with the profession and the service. Working groups have also been established to consider issues relating specifically to private sector involvement in healthcare and medical workforce strategy.  These arrangements help to ensure that the JMCC is kept abreast of developments in the provision of health care throughout the UK and enable the Council to make a valid contribution to the development of national health strategy.