A Chronology of State Medicine, Public Health, Welfare and Related ...

1992 Cont 1
1992 cont education; provided for other changes to enable the non-university sector to come
in line with universities; and replaced the University and the Polytechnics and Colleges
Funding Councils with the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC). There was a parallel
act (c.37) for Scotland. See 1997.
Education (Schools) Act (c.38) introduced a new chief inspectorate and the use of
private teams to inspect schools once every four years; a parents' charter; and league tables of
schools' performances. See 1993.
Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act (c.4) and Social Security
Administration Act (c.5) consolidated previous acts. See 1994.
Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act (c.16) changed the membership of the UK
Central Council. See 1997.
Medicinal Properties: Prescription by Nurses Act (c.28) provided for certain drugs and
medicines to be prescribed by categories of nurses, midwives and health visitors.
Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act (c.52) consolidated various acts
relating to collective labour relations, including trade unions and employers' associations. See
1993 and 1999.
Tribunals and Inquiries Act (c.53) consolidated previous acts relating to the
constitution, practice and procedures of tribunals and inquiries. See 1996.
Competition and Service (Utilities) Act (c.43) set out conditions for maintaining
standards of services provided by the telecommunications, gas supply, water supply and
sewerage services; and made provisions in respect of customer complaints and the powers of
the industry regulators.
Charities Act (c.41) amended the 1960 and 1985 acts, and made further provisions
concerning fund raising activities and related matters. See 1993.
Stillbirth (Definition) Act (c.29) reduced the minimum gestational age by which
stillbirth is defined from 28 weeks to 24 weeks.
Sexual Offenders (Amendment) Act (c.34) extended the principle of anonymity for a
victim of rape to victims of certain other sexual offences. See 1997.
The Department of Health published "The Health of the Nation. A Strategy for Health
in England", Cm.1986 (a revised edition of the 1991 "The Health of the Nation"), identifying
the key areas for preventive action as coronary heart disease and stroke, cancers, mental
illness,
HIV/AIDS and sexual health, and accidents, but omitting rehabilitation services which
had been mentioned in the previous document. See 1996.
The Scottish Office published "Scotland's Health: A Challenge to Us All".
A White Paper "Choice and Diversity", Cm.2021, proposed that all schools should be
encouraged to opt out of local authority control and become grant maintained; that a Funding
Agency for Schools should take on the allocation of funds to grant maintained schools; that
local education authorities should retain responsibility for the education of children with
special needs and for school transport; and that the National Curriculum Council and the
School Examination and Assessment Authority should merge to form the School Curriculum
and Assessment Authority. See 1993.
The Inquiry into London's Health Service, Medical Education and Research (chairman,
Sir Bernard Tomlinson, chairman of the Northern Regional Health Authority) emphasised the
need to improve primary and community care; and recommended a reduction in the number
of hospital beds, and the merging of some of the undergraduate and specialist postgraduate
teaching hospitals. See 1993, 1997 and appendix 4.