In recent years the health professions have been subject to unprecedented regulatory changes. Exposure of poor practice provoked widespread criticism of self-regulation and calls for a system in which the interests of health care consumers and employers are more fully recognized. Examining the historical and contemporary context, Regulating the Health Professions provides an in-depth analysis of professional self-regulation and the implications of regulatory change for the future of health care.

Part One sets out general regulatory issues in the healthcare arena with chapters covering the impact of globalization on the professions, the purpose of professional regulation, the legal context of regulation and the significance of professional codes of ethics.

In Part Two, issues specific to the different professions are explored through chapters on medicine, nursing, dentistry, the professions allied to medicine, clinical psychology and alternative medicine.

This extremely topical book will be of interest to students, educators and researchers in a wide range of disciplines including sociology, social policy, politics and health studies, and to healthcare professionals and their managers.