The Editor
The Daily Telegraph
1 Canada Square
London E14 5DT

1^st October 2002

Sir,

We write as the Presidents and Chairmen of the UK health and social care regulatory bodies, whose responsibility it is to ensure that patients and service users are assured of the highest levels of care and protection. We are, therefore, profoundly concerned that a proposed European Commission directive will allow health and social care workers from other European countries to practise in the UK without registration.

The proposal for a Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications is designed to facilitate the free movement of professionals, but it does so at the expense of patient and service user safety.

Articles 5-9 of this proposal would allow individuals established in one Member State to practise in another for up to 16 weeks, without registration in the host State. We regard this as completely unacceptable. It is against our own efforts as regulators and those of the Government, to put public protection first and runs counter to the principles of human health protection enshrined in the Treaty of Rome.

At the hearing today in the European Parliament, we will be calling on MEPs and officials to reconsider their proposals.

Our view is supported by both patient and consumer groups and we urge the Commission to ensure that such proposals are dropped from the draft Directive.

Yours faithfully,

Prof. Sir Graeme Catto, President, General Medical Council
Professor Nairn Wilson, President, General Dental Council
Jonathan Asbridge, President, Nursing and Midwifery Council
Nigel Clarke, Chairman, General Osteopathic Council
Michael Copland-Griffiths' , Chairman, General Chiropractic Council
Marshall Davies, President Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Rosie Varley, Chair, General Optical Council
Mrs Sheelagh E Hillan MBE DL MPS, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland