New research shows improvements in managing concerns about doctors

New research from the General Medical Council suggests that the NHS is more willing and more determined to identify and deal with poor practice among doctors.

The GMC research sought the views of around 100 medical directors across the four countries of the UK asking them to explain why more doctors are being referred to the GMC than ever before. The results suggest that the NHS has better systems for monitoring doctors’ performance and that there is greater awareness of and commitment to high professional standards. 

There has been a sharp increase in the number of doctors referred to the GMC by medical directors and other public bodies. The figure doubled between 2007 and 2010, to 1,395 referrals a year, one in five of all complaints to the GMC.

The medical directors also reported that there was an increased commitment among doctors themselves to reporting concerns, as well as patients feeling more empowered to complain.

The trend of increased medical referrals is matched elsewhere, with the nursing regulator (the Nursing and Midwifery Council) and the NHS Information Centre both reporting a significant rise in complaints (1).

Alongside this work, the GMC is launching a new liaison service to support medical directors in dealing with concerns they may have about the doctors for whom they are responsible. It will also support them as the GMC introduces revalidation, a system which will require all UK doctors to demonstrate they are up-to-date and fit to practise on an ongoing basis. 

From January next year there will be dedicated GMC advisers across the UK to support local medical directors. The research with medical directors confirms that deciding when to refer a doctor to the GMC can be difficult, but those who took part in the pilot of the GMC employer liaison service found it very helpful.

Niall Dickson, the Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, said:

‘More complaints about doctors does not necessarily mean standards are slipping; it could be a sign that the systems to identify problems are improving. Our research certainly suggests that employers are giving priority to detecting and dealing with concerns and that has to be welcome.

‘In addition, rather than keeping quiet about problems, doctors are more likely to speak up when they see anything that could pose a risk to patient safety. And that is exactly as it should be. There is no cause for complacency and we know there is more to do in this area, but the system is becoming more open and we have come a long way from the idea of medicine as an ‘old boys’ club’.

‘A referral to the GMC can be the start of an anxious time for everyone involved, and we recognise that. The piloting we have already done shows that employer liaison advisers can bring real benefits to medical directors and we will soon have someone in each area of the UK to support them.’

The research also discovered:

• Over 85% of medical directors surveyed had made a referral to the GMC in the last five years.
• Medical directors who had made an increased number of referrals in 2010 cited colleagues being more likely to raise a fitness to practise issue as the main reason for the increase.
• 95% of those who made referrals contacted the National Clinical Assessment Service for advice.