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Problem doctors
EDITOR, - Liam J Donaldson discusses dealing with problem doctors in a region.1 Regional responses to medical disciplinary problems have often been remote, cosy, and ineffective, lacking in urgency and understanding of local situations; regions have not inspired confidence in hospital managers and clinicians who wish to bring forward serious allegations. Local knowledge of the personal and professional conduct of individual doctors should enable medical directors of hospital trusts to assess problems more rapidly and deal with them more effectively at an earlier stage. NHS trusts are less likely to tolerate personal and professional misconduct in any groups of staff, including doctors.
A tiny minority of staff consistently abuse privileges afforded through medical professional self regulation. New and more flexible procedures are needed, but existing disciplinary procedures need to be enforced, as would apply in the case of any other NHS employees. Disciplinary action has become a commercial consideration. The
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- Doctors with problems in an NHS workforce
- L J Donaldson
BMJ 1994 308: 1277-1282.[Abstract] [Full Text]
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