It is, in many ways, a pity that we start this book off with this chapter. There is nothing demanding or contentious about it and much of it will be common knowledge to many readers. Nevertheless, we feel that there are many good reasons for what is essentially an introductory chapter. In the first place, many healthcare practitioners, confronted by an ever-increasingly litigious public, tend to see the medico-legal relationship as one of uncompromising conflict and we feel under something of an obligation to try to put the position in perspective. Secondly, political control of the healthcaring professions is extending rapidly and, as a direct consequence, the means and direction of professional control are being profoundly affected. The National Health Service Reform and Healthcare Professions Act of 2002, coupled with the massive changes to the Medical Act imposed by the Medical Act 1983 (Amendment) Order which is still in the draft stage, are likely to alter the legal ambience within which the healthcare professions work to an extent of which even the professionals themselves may be unaware. We think, therefore, that it would be helpful to outline some of the changes which are in the development stage.