{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/european-specialist-medical-qualifications-order-1995/note",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/european-specialist-medical-qualifications-order-1995/note.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1995/3208",
  "legislation_title": "The European Specialist Medical Qualifications Order 1995",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/european-specialist-medical-qualifications-order-1995",
  "path": "note",
  "kind": "note",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Explanatory note",
  "text": "This note is not part of the Order\nThis Order makes new provision about training for specialist medical qualifications, and the recognition in the United Kingdom of specialist medical qualifications awarded elsewhere. The Order implements European obligations relating to the training of specialist doctors and mutual recognition of their qualifications.\nThese obligations are contained principally in Titles II and III of Council Directive 93/16/EEC (OJ No. L 165, 7.7.1993, p.1) (the “Medical Directive”), which consolidated earlier Directives. This Directive and other European obligations must now be read with the European Economic Area Agreement (defined in article 2(2) of this Order). This Order also refers to rights arising under Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 ([1968] OJ Special Edition 475) as amended by Regulation (EEC) No. 312/76 (OJ No. L 39, 14.2.1976, p.2), and Articles 48, 52 and 59 of the Treaty of Rome (as amended), which affect the pursuit of their profession not only by nationals of member states of the European Economic Area (“EEA”) but also by their spouses and certain of their dependents.\nPart I of the Order provides for the coming into force of the Order on 12th January 1996 (except for article 11 and Schedule 5, which come into force on 1st January 1997) and for the interpretation of certain terms.\nPart II designates two competent authorities for the United Kingdom in relation to specialist medical qualifications. The General Medical Council (“GMC”), which is the supervisory body for the medical profession by virtue of the Medical Act 1983, is designated for the purposes of registration and recognition of specialist medical qualifications, and a new body called “the Specialist Training Authority of the medical Royal Colleges” or “STA” is designated for purposes relating to training for those qualifications in the United Kingdom.\nPart III provides for the issue by the STA of Certificates of Completion of Specialist Training “CCST”s to those who complete approved specialist training, and provides also (in article 7) for the conditions which training must satisfy before it can be approved for this purpose.\nPart IV provides for the GMC to establish and publish a register of specialists, including not only those who have been awarded a CCST, but also European doctors with specialist qualifications awarded elsewhere in the EEA, whose qualifications are entitled to automatic recognition, and doctors with qualifications from other countries, which will be assessed by the STA before being recognised. From 1st January 1997 it will be a condition of taking up employment as a consultant in the National Health Service that the doctor appointed be included in the specialist register.\nPart V provides for doctors who are already consultants, and also certain other categories of doctor, to be included in the specialist register provided they apply before 1st January 1998 (or in some circumstances later).\nPart VI requires the STA to set up an appeal mechanism against its decisions; provides for removal and suspension from the specialist register; and revokes certain superseded earlier provisions on the same subject, while providing for applications for certificates of specialist training already submitted to the GMC before 12th January 1996 to be processed within 3 months.\nSchedule 1 provides for the constitution of the STA; Schedule 2 lists the specialties in which CCSTs may be issued (together with their minimum training periods, if any); Schedule 3 reproduces Annex I to the Medical Directive, which sets out the characteristics of specialist training; Schedule 4 lists the certificates of specialist training awarded elsewhere in the EEA; Schedule 5 lists the posts open only to those included in the specialist register (namely that of consultant in the National Health Service in a specialty other than general practice); and Schedule 6 makes detailed provision about removal from the specialist register of entries included by mistake or as a result of fraud.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/3208/note",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T12:56:04.911171+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}