Scheme aims to ensure doctors are fit to work

A NATIONAL strategy to ensure doctors are fit to practice medicine has been published by the Medical Council in advance of new legislation that will make competence assurance mandatory.

The professional practice review scheme, aimed at identifying problem doctors sooner rather than later, will be voluntary until the new Medical Practitioners Bill becomes law later this year, or early next year.

The council is now inviting 400 doctors throughout the country to join a pilot quality improvement programme and hopes to have 200 GPs participating in professional practice reviews in October.