This book provides a comprehensive examination of the complex issues surrounding the regulation of the medical profession. It offers up-to-date information on the current legislative framework and institutional arrangements surrounding the regulation in the United Kingdom. Well organized and written in an accessible way, it offers an insight into key sociological theories surrounding medical regulation. It gives a historically situated analysis of the contemporary relationship between medicine, the state and the public, and an overview of relevant social scientific research. Case studies highlight the practical or applied circumstances in which issues can occur. Readers will gain insight into possible future directions for medical governance.

Preface.- Chapter 1: Introduction: Medical Governance in the Risky Age of the Surveillance Society.- Chapter 2: Biomedicine, Medicalization and Risk.- Chapter 3: Doctors, Patients, Managers and the State.- Chapter 4: Sociological Deconstructions I: Critiquing Medical Autonomy and Altruism.- Chapter 5: Sociological Deconstructions II: Governmentality and Restraification.- Chapter 6: Restratification and Revalidation: United Kingdom and International Perspectives.- Chapter 7: Restratification and the Hearing of Fitness to Practice Cases.- Chapter 8: Epilogue: Sociology, Medical Governance and Citizenship.

Dr John Martyn Chamberlain joined the department of Social Sciences at the Loughborough University in September 2010. His academic background is in criminology and medical sociology and  research interests lies in crossovers between health, risk, governmentality, security and surveillance studies.