The General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2003

The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board and its committees

3.—(1) There shall be a body corporate to be known as the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (referred to in this Order as “the Board”).

(2) The principal functions of the Board shall be—

(a) to establish standards of, and requirements relating to, postgraduate medical education and training;

(b) to secure the maintenance of the standards and requirements established under sub-paragraph (a); and

(c) to develop and promote postgraduate medical education and training in the United Kingdom.

(3) The Board shall have such other functions as are conferred on it by or under this Order.

(4) The main objectives of the Board in exercising its functions shall be—

(a) to safeguard the health and well-being of persons using or needing the services of general practitioners or specialists;

(b) to ensure that the needs of persons undertaking postgraduate medical education and training in each of the countries of the United Kingdom are met by the standards it establishes under paragraph (2)(a) and to have proper regard to the differing considerations applying to the different groups of persons to whom this Order applies; and

(c) to ensure that the needs of employers and those engaging the services of general practitioners and specialists within the National Health Service are met by the standards it establishes under paragraph (2)(a).

(5) In exercising its functions, the Board shall co-operate wherever reasonably practicable with—

(a) the GMC;

(b) any body that appears to it to be representative of the medical Royal Colleges in the United Kingdom; and

(c) such other bodies as the Secretary of State may specify by order.

(6) Part 1 of Schedule 2 shall have effect with respect to the constitution of the Board.

(7) There shall be two committees of the Board, to be known as—

(a) the Training Committee; and

(b) the Assessment Committee.

(8) These two committees, and any committee created under paragraph (11)(a), are referred to in this Order as “the statutory committees”.

(9) Each statutory committee shall have the functions conferred on it by or under this Order.

(10) Part 2 of Schedule 2 shall have effect with respect to the statutory committees.

(11) On a proposal from the Board or otherwise, the Secretary of State may by order—

(a) create a new statutory committee and confer functions on it; or

(b) vary the functions of the statutory committees.

(12) The functions of the Board under or by virtue of this Order are without prejudice to the functions of the GMC or any of its statutory committees under the Medical Act.