Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why (1) the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, (2) the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, (3) the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and (4) the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, are unable to play the same legal role as other medical Royal Colleges in the consultant appointment process in England.

The National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations 1996 do not prevent NHS trusts from seeking alternative members to contribute to the process of appointing consultants. The Regulations do provide discretion to involve these Royal Colleges where appropriate and do not apply to foundation trusts, which comprise the majority of trusts.

We are considering the merits of amending the Regulations to include additional Colleges and will provide further details in due course.