In Britain, Government Oversight Sharpens on Health Care, Helps Patients

Up until recently, healthcare oversight was restricted to "naming and shaming". Now, though,

a long overdue move, say critics, who claim that the regulator has often backed hospital management rather than patients. Failing hospitals will first be warned about bad practices. If they persist, the commission can see the offending departments closed down, the management prosecuted, and the hospitals fined up to £50,000. If all else fails, the commission can shut an entire hospital by withdrawing its licence to operate. Tomorrow, it will issue its first list of hospitals that will have to improve or suffer the consequences.