Top quango

Published on 16/07/2012 00:00

MY FAVOURITE quango is the Council For Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE).

It is my favourite not because of the fine work it does, but just because of its ridiculously pompous name.

The CHRE is the ultimate quango. It is the quango of quangos. In banking you have banks (eg Barclays) and the bank regulator (FSA). In healthcare you have professionals (eg nurses or doctors) and you have healthcare professionals regulators (eg NMC or GMC).

In addition (this is the quango of quango part), you have the regulator of the regulators (the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence).

Unfortunately, the nursing profession continues to be let down by its regulatory body, as witnessed by this year’s review by the CHRE.
Nursing and Midwifery Council : “Failings at every level of the Nursing and Midwifery Council mean it is letting down patients in its prime duty to protect them”. However do not despair, because the doctors’ regulatory body did much better.

General Medical Council: “The General Medical Council has not only continued to be an effective organisation across all its regulatory functions but in many ways has improved its performance in the past year”.

NEIL SINCLAIR

Clarence Street
Edinburgh