132.Parliament has established statutory frameworks for a number of health care professions within which the professions regulate themselves.  For the most part there are separate enactments for each professional group (doctors; dentists; nurses, midwives and health visitors; opticians; pharmacists; osteopaths; chiropractors and the twelve professions coming within the remit of the Health Professions Council).  Each of these groups has its own regulatory body operating within its own legal framework:
	The General Medical Council – Medical Act 1983
	The General Dental Council – Dentists Act 1984
	The Nursing and Midwifery Council – Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001
	The General Optical Council – Opticians Act 1989
	The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain – Pharmacy Act 1954, Medicines Act 1968 (and in Northern Ireland, The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland – Pharmacy (Northern Ireland) Order 1976
	The General Osteopaths Council – Osteopaths Act 1993
	The General Chiropractic Council – Chiropractors Act 1994
	The Health Professions Council – Health Professions Order 2001
133.The different enactments make provisions which, with very few exceptions, could until recently only be changed by means of primary legislation.  Section 60 and Schedule 3 of the Health Act, therefore provided a framework within which Her Majesty by Order in Council can modify the enactments affecting professional regulation and regulate any other health care profession.
Commentary on Sections The Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals Sections 25 to 29: The Council for the Regulation of Health Care Professionals