GMC introduces tighter regulation for some and a lighter touch for oth
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《英国医生杂志》
The General Medical Council, the UK body which regulates the medical profession, has unveiled a new twin track approach to regulation that will provide tougher scrutiny of the "small minority" who present a threat to patients?safety while offering a "lighter touch" for most doctors.
The proposals, which were due to be considered at its meeting this week, are the latest in a series of measures aimed at avoiding a repeat of the Harold Shipman scandal, in which the family doctor was responsible for murdering more than a hundred of his patients.
Under the new strategy, all doctors would have to give the GMC information about their work as a condition of gaining a licence to practise in the first place. This could include details of the scope of their work, their specialty, and the name of their employer.
After this, local employers would be expected to play a much bigger role in regulating most doctors. The council is planning to draw up a list of "approved environments" that could take on much of the supervision of doctors. Supervision might include dealing with complaints and even helping towards revalidation through the annual appraisal.
The GMC抯 president, Graeme Catto said that the council was determined to concentrate its "enforcement resources" on the small minority who were a threat to patient safety. Doctors in non-approved environments, such as those who were self employed or moved job often, "will be subject to greater scrutiny while others receive a lighter regulatory touch."
The monitoring is likely to include questionnaires filled in by patients and colleagues to flag up any concerns. Doctors might also have to submit themselves for revalidation at more frequent intervals.
The chief executive of the GMC, Finlay Scott, estimated that between 10 000 and 30 000 doctors could be working in non-approved environments. But he emphasised that not all NHS trusts would necessarily win approved environment status from the GMC.
Professor Catto insisted that the new arrangements would mean less bureaucracy for most doctors. "The information we require is unchanged, it抯 simply the way in which it抯 presented and to whom it抯 presented."
The GMC has commissioned a research study by the York Health Economics Consortium to try to identify early indicators of poor practice. But the Medical Defence Union抯 deputy chief executive, Christine Tomkins, warned that this would not be straightforward. "Whatever is done will need to be fair and just and proportionate to any potential risk," she said.
More than a third of GPs and three in 10 hospital doctors have expressed a lack of confidence in the way that the GMC currently regulates the profession, a survey by the council has found. Many GPs felt that the appraisal system did not assess doctors well and would not identify dangerous doctors. The survey of doctors and patients is likely to be done every year in future.(Andrew Cole)
The proposals, which were due to be considered at its meeting this week, are the latest in a series of measures aimed at avoiding a repeat of the Harold Shipman scandal, in which the family doctor was responsible for murdering more than a hundred of his patients.
Under the new strategy, all doctors would have to give the GMC information about their work as a condition of gaining a licence to practise in the first place. This could include details of the scope of their work, their specialty, and the name of their employer.
After this, local employers would be expected to play a much bigger role in regulating most doctors. The council is planning to draw up a list of "approved environments" that could take on much of the supervision of doctors. Supervision might include dealing with complaints and even helping towards revalidation through the annual appraisal.
The GMC抯 president, Graeme Catto said that the council was determined to concentrate its "enforcement resources" on the small minority who were a threat to patient safety. Doctors in non-approved environments, such as those who were self employed or moved job often, "will be subject to greater scrutiny while others receive a lighter regulatory touch."
The monitoring is likely to include questionnaires filled in by patients and colleagues to flag up any concerns. Doctors might also have to submit themselves for revalidation at more frequent intervals.
The chief executive of the GMC, Finlay Scott, estimated that between 10 000 and 30 000 doctors could be working in non-approved environments. But he emphasised that not all NHS trusts would necessarily win approved environment status from the GMC.
Professor Catto insisted that the new arrangements would mean less bureaucracy for most doctors. "The information we require is unchanged, it抯 simply the way in which it抯 presented and to whom it抯 presented."
The GMC has commissioned a research study by the York Health Economics Consortium to try to identify early indicators of poor practice. But the Medical Defence Union抯 deputy chief executive, Christine Tomkins, warned that this would not be straightforward. "Whatever is done will need to be fair and just and proportionate to any potential risk," she said.
More than a third of GPs and three in 10 hospital doctors have expressed a lack of confidence in the way that the GMC currently regulates the profession, a survey by the council has found. Many GPs felt that the appraisal system did not assess doctors well and would not identify dangerous doctors. The survey of doctors and patients is likely to be done every year in future.(Andrew Cole)