BMJ 2002;325:235 ( 3 August )

News

Surgeons top the number of referrals to assessment authority

Caroline White, London
The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

One in three referrals from NHS hospitals and community trusts to the newly established advisory body on doctors' performance is about a surgeon, preliminary figures have shown.

Of the 187 referrals made by chief executives and medical directors to the National Clinical Assessment Authority since it was set up in April 2001, 65 have been surgeons.

The authority, which covers England only, was established as part of the government's drive to ensure quality standards in the NHS. Its aim is to provide a support service to health authorities and hospital and community trusts that have concerns over the performance of an individual doctor. The authority is now receiving about 80 referrals a quarter, including doctors working in primary care.

In total, the authority received 279 referrals from 1 April 2001 to 30 June 2002. However, most (67%) have come from hospitals and community trusts, which cover mental health and acute trusts.

When the referrals from hospital and community trusts . . . [Full text of this article]
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