Medical Council wants better patient safeguards

SAFEGUARDS to protect patients from incompetent doctors and substandard hospital care are not yet in place, according to the Medical Council.

Dr Lynda Sisson, the council’s director of competence assurance, said medicine could learn a lot from the aviation industry where the safety of passengers is paramount.

Speaking ahead of the council’s conference on competence, performance and assessment which takes places on March 31, Dr Sisson said: “Systems guaranteeing patients that they will be cared for by safe doctors in a safe environment are not yet in place.”

Referring to one of the sessions which will take place at the conference - ‘Lessons from the Airline Industry-Factors Associated with the Work Environment’ - Dr Sisson said patients were entitled to protection equivalent to that afforded to airline passengers.

“We have a lot to learn from the airline industry. As passengers, we expect safe pilots, safe aircraft and safe airspace; patients have the same expectations of our health system.”

Dr Sisson called on medical professionals to accept a new culture of openness and accountability “where competence is assured rather than blame apportioned”.

She said the council, as regulator of doctors, was working to promote systems which support ongoing education of doctors and the identification of performance difficulties at an early stage.

“The emphasis must be on supporting the majority of doctors who are competent and practicing safely, while identifying the relatively small number of doctors who experience problems from time to time.

“Every effort must be made to assist these doctors to return to full practice where possible.”

Dr Sisson is due to present the council’s ‘Competence Assurance Strategic Plan’ at the March conference which takes place in Croke Park.