Medical Act 1956

{{Short description|Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = Medical Act 1956{{efn|Section 58(1).}}
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title = An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to medical practitioners with corrections and improvements made under the Consolidation of Enactments (Procedure) Act, 1949.
| year = 1956
| citation = [[4 & 5 Eliz. 2]]. c. 76
| territorial_extent = [[United Kingdom]]
| royal_assent = 5 November 1956
| commencement = 1 January 1957{{efn|Section 58(2).}}
| repeal_date = 26 October 1983
| amends = See {{Section link||Repealed enactments}}
| replaces = See {{Section link||Repealed enactments}}
| amendments = {{ubli|[[Medical Act 1956 (Amendment) Act 1958]]}}
| repealing_legislation = [[Medical Act 1983]]
| related_legislation =
| status = Repealed
| original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/4-5/76/contents/enacted
| use_new_UK-LEG = no
}}

The '''Medical Act 1956''' ([[4 & 5 Eliz. 2]]. c. 76) was an [[Act of Parliament (United Kingdom)|act]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] that consolidated enactments relating to medical practitioners in the [[United Kingdom]].{{Cite journal |last=Irvine |first=Donald H. |date=2006 |title=A short history of the General Medical Council |journal=Medical Education |volume=40 |issue=3 |pages=202–211 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02397.x |pmid=16483322}}{{Cite web |title=[R]Medical Act 1956 {{!}} LexisNexis |url=https://www.lexisnexis.co.uk/legal/legislation/uk-parliament-acts/-r-medical-act-1956-c76 |access-date=2026-04-24 |website=www.lexisnexis.co.uk |language=en}}

== Provisions ==
=== Repealed enactments ===
Section 57(1) of the act repealed 20 enactments, listed in the fifth schedule to the act.{{Cite legislation UK|act=Medical Act 1956|type=act|year=Eliz2/4-5|chapter=76}}

{| class="wikitable"
!Citation
!Short title
!Extent of repeal
|-
| [[32 Hen. 8]]. c. 40
| [[Physicians Act 1540]]
| The whole act..
|-
| [[21 & 22 Vict.]] c. 90
| [[Medical Act 1858]]
| Sections two to forty-six; section fifty-five; and Schedules (A) and (D).
|-
| [[22 Vict.]] c. 21
| [[Medical Act 1859]]
| The whole act..
|-
| [[23 Vict.]] c. 7
| [[Medical Acts Amendment Act 1860]]
| The whole act..
|-
| [[25 & 26 Vict.]] c. 91
| [[Medical Act 1862]]
| The whole act..
|-
| [[37 & 38 Vict.]] c. 34
| [[Apothecaries Act Amendment Act 1874]]
| Section three.
|-
| [[39 & 40 Vict.]] c. 40
| [[Medical Practitioners Act 1876]]
| The whole act..
|-
| [[49 & 50 Vict.]] c. 48
| [[Medical Act 1886]]
| Sections two to five; in section six the words "in the United Kingdom and"; sections seven to twenty-four; in section twenty-seven the words "except where the context otherwise requires" and the definitions other than that of "local law" and "person".
|-
| [[63 & 64 Vict.]] c. xix
| [[Birmingham University Act 1900]]
| Sections nine and ten.
|-
| [[3 Edw. 7]]. c. ccxxxii
| [[Liverpool University Act 1903]]
| Sections ten and eleven.
|-
| [[4 Edw. 7]]. c. xxxv
| [[University of Leeds Act 1904]]
| Sections eight and nine.
|-
| [[5 Edw. 7]]. c. 14
| [[Medical Act (1886) Amendment Act 1905]]
| The whole act..
|-
| [[5 Edw. 7]]. c. clii
| [[University of Sheffield Act 1905]]
| Sections seven and eight.
|-
| [[7 Edw. 7]]. c. xxii
| [[Apothecaries Act 1907]]
| Section five.
|-
| [[8 Edw. 7]]. c. 38
| [[Irish Universities Act 1908]]
| Section eleven.
|-
| [[9 Edw. 7]]. c. xlii
| [[University of Bristol Act 1909]]
| Sections seven and eight.
|-
| [[1 & 2 Geo. 5]]. c. 43
| [[University of Wales (Medical Graduates) Act 1911]]
| The whole act..
|-
| [[17 & 18 Geo. 5]]. c. 39
| [[Medical and Dentists Acts Amendment Act 1927]]
| In section one, the words from "and so far as" in subsection (1) to the end of the section; in section three, subsections (2), (4) and (5).
|-
| [[11 & 12 Geo. 6]]. c. 11
| [[Medical Practitioners and Pharmacists Act 1947]]
| Section eight.
|-
| [[14 Geo. 6]]. c. 29
| [[Medical Act 1950]]
| Sections one to five; in section six, subsections (1) and (2), in subsection (3), paragraphs (a) and (b) and the words "but not further" and subsections (4) to (7); sections seven to twenty-four; subsection (1) of section twenty-five; sections twenty-six to twenty-eight and thirty and thirty-two; in section thirty-four, in subsection (1), the words "on the Lord Chancellor to make rules and", subsection (2), in subsection (3) and subsection (4) the words from "other than" to "day"; section thirty-five, except the words in subsection (4) from "for the purpose" to the end; sections thirty-six and thirty-seven; subsection (2) of section thirty-eight; the First Schedule; the Second Schedule, except the entry relating to the Medical Practitioners and Pharmacists Act, 1947, in the first column and the words from the beginning to "by virtue of section eleven" in the corresponding entry in the second column.
|}

== Subsequent developments ==
The whole act was repealed by section 56(2) of, and part I of schedule 7 to, the [[Medical Act 1983]], which came into force on 26 October 1983.{{Cite legislation UK|act=Medical Act 1983|type=act|year=1983|chapter=54}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{UK-LEG|asmade=yes}}

{{UK legislation}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1956]]
[[Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning healthcare]]
[[Category:Repealed United Kingdom Acts of Parliament]]
[[Category:Consolidation Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Medical regulation in the United Kingdom]]