New Doctor - Medical Protection Society

4
UPDATE
NEW DOCTOR | VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 2 | 2012 | UNITED KINGDOM www.mps.org.uk
Update
GMC
launches
new tribunal
service for
UK doctors
A
new tribunal service to decide on the
fitness to practise of UK doctors was
launched on 11 June, in the biggest
Above: Niall Dickson, chief
executive of the GMC
Right: David Pearl, the
shake up of medical regulation in the United judge and independently
Kingdom since the formation of the General
Medical Council more than 150 years ago.
appointed chair of MPTS
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service MPTS will strengthen professional and public
(MPTS), based in Manchester and headed confidence that our hearings are impartial, fair
by a judge, will be part of the GMC, but will and transparent – the fact that the service is
operate separately from it and be accountable led by a judicial figure who has a direct line to
to parliament. The GMC will continue to parliament should provide that assurance.”
investigate and prosecute cases.
David Pearl, the judge and independently
MPTS panels have the power to, in the most appointed chair of MPTS, said: “One of my
serious cases, remove or suspend a doctor earliest priorities is to make improvements
from the medical register or place restrictions to the way that panelists are trained and
on their practice. They can also take early performance managed through regular
action by considering cases before a full appraisal and quality assurance, which will
fitness to practise hearing, where it may be bolster the quality of decision making.”
appropriate to place restrictions on a doctor’s Later this year the GMC plans to pilot a
practice immediately or suspend their practice proposed new system of consensual disposal,
while investigations proceed.
which would allow a doctor to avoid a public
The move paves the way for far reaching reforms hearing by accepting a suggested sanction.
of the fitness to practise procedures expected to The doctor would attend a meeting to explain
come into force over the next few years.
the circumstances and put forward mitigation
Niall Dickson, the chief executive of the at an early stage.
GMC, said: “Although panels already make Also this year, the GMC will be deploying
their decisions independently, it is important regional liaison officers to liaise with employers
that their autonomy is clear and that the and support responsible officers, with the aim
oversight of their work is quite separate from of identifying and tackling underperforming
our investigatory activity. We hope that the doctors early.
For more information visit: www.gmc-uk.org/news/13286.asp
Event When Where What Further information
MPS Communication Skills
Workshops
Throughout
year
Across UK
Careers Advice for Trainees 11 September Durham
Getting to Grips with Law and
Ethics: Medicolegal Skills for
Surgeons in Training
28 September London
BMJ Careers Fair 19/20 October London
Mix with other specialties and lower your risk at MPS’s
popular workshop
The UK Foundation Programme Office, Northern Deanery
and Medical Education England, are jointly hosting this event
MPS and ASIT present this joint one-day conference, which
confers essential skills for surgeons in training
Useful for any medical graduate, it covers CV writing,
interview skills, career planning and more
ABEL MITJA VARELA/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
NEWS IN BRIEF
Junior doctors told
to shadow jobs to
improve safety
Junior doctors will have
to spend at least four
days shadowing their
first job in the NHS
before starting work,
the government has
announced. The new
system will be introduced
in England this August
when the new intake of
junior doctors is taken on.
NHS medical director
Professor Sir Bruce
Keogh said the move
would help improve
patient safety. Sir Bruce
said: “This shadowing
period could potentially
save lives and will equip
new junior doctors with
the local knowledge
and skills needed to
provide safe, high
quality patient care.”
Dr Tom Dolphin, of
the BMA, said: “I think
it will really help doctors
hit the ground running.
It is a stressful time
starting your first job so
this will be a good way
of easing that.”
The decision to
introduce shadowing
comes after pilots have
been carried out in
various places. In Bristol
mistakes new doctors
made in their first four
months were reduced
by 52% during the pilot.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk/
news/uk-england-18555083
www.mps.org.uk/workshops
www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/
pages/home/events
www.medicalprotection.org/uk/
conferences/Getting-to-grips-withlaw-and-ethics
http://careersfair.bmj.com/en/1/
national.html