The British General Medical Council

This chapter examines changes in the regulation of doctors in Britain consequent upon the transition from empire to Europe, developing already-published work on the British General Medical Council (Stacey 1992). The history illustrates some points about the imbeddedness of professionals and their organizations in the society of which they are a part. Professions not only reflect that society’s complexities, but are also in a sense determined by its history and by their own historical development within it. More than mirroring it, however, they continually contribute to the society’s creation and change.