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News: Piloting GMC affiliates

27 November 2009

Medical directors praise affiliates pilot

September saw the end of our two affiliates pilot studies. The pilots were developed to test whether the appointment of GMC Affiliates at a regional level would bridge the regulatory gap between local and national regulation. While we are currently awaiting the final report from independent evaluators KPMG, feedback to date has been positive and the pilots appear to have been well received.

Dr Andrew Catto, Executive Medical Director for Airedale NHS Trust, was extremely impressed by the value of the affiliates pilot: ‘The opportunity for Trust, SHA and GMC to discuss difficult performance issues is exceptionally useful and I strongly endorse the programme’.

The close relationships that have developed between the affiliates and medical directors in the pilot areas have provided a useful framework for discussing concerns about doctors and developing a greater understanding locally about the threshold for referring a case to the GMC.

The pilots have also helped to increase our understanding about the difficulties faced by medical directors. There has been unanimous support for the Regional Medical Regulatory Support Team meetings, which have proved to be a valuable forum for open discussion and dialogue between representatives from local healthcare organisations.

The meetings have facilitated the development of strong working relationships and have provided an opportunity for all concerned to gain a regional perspective on the delivery of healthcare that they would not have otherwise had.

The final evaluation report is due by the end of the year which will inform the Department of Health (England) about the cost and feasibility of rolling out the programme more widely.