NEWS DIGEST
GMC pledges “light touch” to address unease
THE GMC has expressed concern at “unease” within the medical profession in its annual report on The state of medical education and practice in the UK. In an introduction to the report, GMC
Chair Professor Terence Stephenson and Chief Executive Niall Dickson said: “There is a state of unease within the medical profession across the UK that risks affecting patients as well as doctors. The reasons for this are complex and multifactorial, and some are longstanding. Yet the signals of distress are unmistakable”. The report says the GMC has a role to
play in addressing this unease by making regulation as “light touch as possible” and reassuring trainees that they are valued doctors and addressing the anger and frustration which has built up during the ongoing dispute in England between the BMA’s Junior Doctors’ Committee and the Government. The GMC has recently launched a special review to explore how postgraduate training can be made more flexible for doctors in the future.
Statistical trends AMONG other trends cited in
this year’s GMC report was a 7 per cent reduction in the number of complaints against doctors in 2015. These rose sharply in the two years to 2013 but fell in both 2014 and 2015. The majority of complaints (68 per cent) came from the public, while 9 per cent came from other doctors, 6 per cent from employers and 6 per cent from self-referrals. The percentage of GMC complaints leading to a full investigation varied substantially, depending on the source of the complaint. Just 15 per cent of complaints made by the public in 2015 met the threshold for a full investigation by the GMC, compared with 80 per cent of complaints made by employers, 51 per
cent made by the police and 31 per cent made by other doctors. Over 2,800 investigations concluded in
2015 in which 5 per cent led to warnings, 6 per cent led to conditions or undertakings and 7 per cent led to suspension or erasure. More than two-thirds were closed with no further action and 14 per cent were closed with advice given to the doctor.
GDC case examiners begin work
NEW GDC case examiners began assessing complaints against registrants in November. Cases will now no longer be referred to an investigating committee for a decision, but will instead be considered by case examiners to determine whether an allegation should go to a
practice committee. Case examiners
will make no findings of
fact in a case or come to substantive conclusions regarding a registrant’s fitness to practise but will instead be
asked to determine whether an allegation should be further considered. Essentially they will conduct a “filtering process”, closing some cases and referring others for a full inquiry before a practice committee. A consultation on the change was undertaken in February 2016. Director of Fitness to Practise at the General Dental Council Jonathan Green said: “Introducing case examiners with a power to agree undertakings with practitioners, means that we will see more complaints dealt with without the need for a practice committee hearing. This should lead to significant reduction in stress for practitioners, as well as ensuring, for all concerned, that suitable cases are resolved earlier and with less expense.”
New guidance on surgical consent
NHS trusts face a dramatic increase in litigation payouts if they do not make changes in patient consent processes prior to surgery, warns the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The College believes that clarification is needed in the understanding of patient consent in light of the 2015 landmark legal judgment given in the case of Montgomery vs Lanarkshire Health Board. To this end the College has published new guidance that aims to help doctors and surgeons understand the shift in the law and its implications, as well as give them tools to assist in improving their practice. The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) paid out over £1.4 billion in claims on
● FALL IN UK ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIBING Antibiotic prescribing in the UK has fallen by over 5 per cent in a year and 11 per cent since a 2012 peak, according to analysis released by Antibiotic Research UK. Seasonal
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variation in prescribing has also halved in a year from 68 per cent to 31 per cent, suggesting GPs are heeding advice not to prescribe for winter colds caused by viruses, but regional variation in UK prescribing remains high.
● NICE GUIDANCE ON MULTIMORBIDITY New guidelines on tailoring care for adults with multimorbidity have been launched by NICE with the aim of identifying ways to reduce treatment burdens (such
as polypharmacy and multiple appointments) and unplanned or emergency care. The guidelines promote shared decision-making and also set out which patients are most likely to benefit from an approach that takes account of
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