Ms Caroline Spillane:

I take this opportunity to reiterate how the council developed the guide. This is probably the most important document that the council will produce in its lifetime. The guide was produced by the Essex working group, which comprised council and non-council members and was chaired by a non-medical member of the council. The Essex working group took an evidence-based approach to the development of the guide. Its development was underpinned by widespread consultation. The group would have consulted patients, members of the public, patient safety representatives, medical schools, postgraduate training bodies, doctors and doctor representative bodies. Everybody was involved in the consultation process.

This council has prided itself on the fact that it consults very widely on key pieces of guidance and documentation for doctors. The Essex working group has as its reference the law of this jurisdiction, but its work is very much in line with the approach that would be taken by other medical regulatory bodies internationally.