For it to succeed the system of regulating doctors in the United Kingdom must do more than simply provide a means of identifying “bad” doctors, says the BMA. It should also promote high standards, provide a platform for reflecting on and developing practice, and provide a positive confirmation of doctors' registration, the BMA says, in a response to a review of revalidation being conducted by the chief medical officer, Professor Liam Donaldson.

The BMA supports the process of revalidation, proposed by the General Medical Council, whereby doctors in the UK are periodically checked for their fitness to practise. And it …