Where next with revalidation?: Political will does not exist for radical reform

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7512.353

BMJ 2005;331:353 (6 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7512.353

Letter

Where next with revalidation?

Political will does not exist for radical reform

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Walshe and Benson underline the importance of theprimary mission to protect the public.¹ But little is writtenin their article about the inadequate arrangements for managers—deemedto be a group of professionals at the Bristol inquiry—thatstill exist behind closed doors rather than in the public domain.Just as a list of wayward doctors can be reeled off, it wouldbe possible to reel off a list of managers who have not actedin a way compatible with "professional" codes; unlike doctors,rather than being held to account, the managers are often simplyand quietly moved on, sometimes into another healthcare post.

The accusation levelled at doctors and other healthcare professionalsby Walshe and Benson, of blocking or watering down reforms,is probably valid, but it can be equally applied to managers,as can the accusations of looking after self interest ratherthan the interests of the . . . [Full text of this article]

Nigel Dudley, consultant in elderly medicine

St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF nigel.dudley@leedsth.nhs.uk