December 2005
A communication from the General Medical Council
December 2005, Issue
20
What's New?
Welcome
Welcome to the final edition of the GMC e-bulletin for 2005.
The focus of this month's e-bulletin is on the launch of a short consultation of our FAQ guidance on prescribing. There is an update of a recent debate in the House of Commons on the issue of the perceived pharmaceutical industry influence over doctors and the GMC guidance on the issue.
We also bring news of a new GMC survey of UK medical graduates, researching their experience in gaining employment. There is also an update on the Proposed reforms to Medical Act, which will affect registration by ensuring parity to the registration process for both UK qualified doctors and international medical graduates.
Finally, we would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Please continue to send us your feedback, questions and ideas for topics you would like to see covered in future editions.
GMC launches consultation into prescribing guidance
The GMC published its guidance on prescribing, in the form of frequently asked questions, in October 2004. Since its publication our Standards and Ethics Committee has considered revisions and additions to it as a number of issues remained outstanding. The GMC is now inviting consideration and comment on the changes proposed.
The GMC has drafted:
· guidance on controlled drugs and doctors prescribing for themselves or those close to them, emphasising the importance of objectivity and picking up relevant recommendations from the fourth report of the Shipman Inquiry;
· proposals for doctors to inform patients about their interests in pharmacies that patients might use and to ensure that patients are not directed to particular pharmacies for the financial benefit of doctors;
· a new paragraph on the importance of doctors in dispensing practices prescribing in patients' best interests and making efficient use of (NHS) resources; and
· guidance on 'counter-signing' prescriptions from (or prescribing on the recommendation of) doctors overseas for patients residing overseas.
· The consultation closes on 27 January 2006.
In addition the GMC is extending its consultation on its core guidance, Good Medical Practice , until 13 January 2006, to give all interested stakeholders a further opportunity to participate.
During a recent discussion in the House of Commons the Rt Hon Kevin Barron, Labour MP for Rother Valley and GMC Lay Council Member, introduced a debate on the influence of the pharmaceutical industry over doctors.
The debate focused on a report by the Health Select Committee on the pharmaceutical industry, and examined current common practice where many doctors attend industry-sponsored events, including those supported by drug companies. However, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley MP, supported the view that such activity should not adversely affect a doctor's integrity.
Kevin Barron, highlighted a paragraph from the GMC guidance Good Medical Practice stating that doctors must always act in patients' best interests and not ask for or accept any gift which may affect or be seen to affect their judgment:
"You must act in your patients' best interests when making referrals and providing or arranging treatment or care. So you must not ask for or accept any inducement, gift or hospitality, which may affect or be seen to affect your judgment. You should not offer such inducements to colleagues." (Paragraph 55 p19)
Mr Barron added that any doctors who find themselves in breach of the guidance may bring their fitness to practise into question, although there had been no such cases during his six years on the Council of the GMC.
For further information on the debate please log onto the House of Commons website.
GMC to survey UK graduates over employment
The GMC plans to survey UK medical graduates about their job situation following graduation.
For the past two years we have been surveying overseas doctors one year after they passed the PLAB test to gather information about their experiences of gaining employment. Now we plan to conduct a similar survey of UK graduates who gained their degree in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
The results of both exercises will feed into a newsletter for international medical graduates on the state of the job market in the UK. At the present time, results of the survey of PLAB pass doctors is available via our website.
Proposed reforms to Medical Act
The GMC has welcomed the outcome of its work with the Department of Health to change the Medical Act, which forms a major part of the ongoing process of reform.
The government is consulting on changes the GMC has requested to the Medical Act, which will affect the system of registration. The proposals for change will modernise the way that doctors are able to join the register, and will bring the registration process in line with developments in regulation. The proposals are aimed at ensuring that the principles for granting registration to UK qualified doctors and international medical graduates should be the same, with any differences being objectively justified.
The main changes are:
- the abolition of limited registration for international medical graduates, and the eradication of the link between registration and employment
- the requirement for all applicants to satisfy the GMC, at the point of registration, that their fitness to practise is not impaired
- the GMC to have the power to vary the timing of revalidation for individual doctors
The proposals are being consulted on by the Department of Health as part of a draft Section 60 Order to amend the Medical Act, which closes on 31 January 2006. If they are agreed, the changes will be made and endorsed by the Privy Council in mid-2006.
Ebulletin
The ebulletin is designed and produced to provide up to date information on those GMC activities that have direct relevance for those involved in clinical governance. Whilst there are clear issues that we will continue to keep you abreast of, we are keen to invite you to make suggestions on areas which you would be interested in seeing included in the ebulletin.
Please send your feedback and suggestions to reform@gmc-uk.org.
Feedback feedback feedback...
We want this bulletin to meet your needs and to work with you to ensure it does. Please send your feedback and suggestions for further material for inclusion to reform@gmc-uk.org.
Subscribe to this ebulletin
If you received this bulletin via a friend or colleague, ensure you get your own copy in future by subscribing to the GMC Reforms ebulletin. If you don't want to receive further bulletins, please click here to unsubscribe
Published by The General Medical Council
Copyright © 2004 All rights reserved.