Will we be getting good doctors and safer patients?

doi:10.1136/bmj.39136.510949.AD

BMJ 2007;334:450 (3 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39136.510949.AD

Feature

Will we be getting good doctors and safer patients?

Graeme Catto, president

General Medical Council, London NW1 3JN

opce@gmc-uk.org

Last week, the Department of Health announced its plans forreforming regulation of doctors. The BMJ asked some of thoseaffected for their opinions

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

I believe that forward thinking doctors will welcome this whitepaper, which puts the uncertainties of recent years behind us.The emphasis on the independence of the General Medical Council—independentof government as the UK's dominant healthcare provider and ofdominance by any single group—is surely right if we areto command the confidence of everyone who receives and provideshealth care. We all need a lasting settlement.

The white paper stems from the four major inquiries that tragicallyshowed what can go wrong when a tiny number of doctors departfrom the high standards that are rightly expected of them. Professionalregulation, however, must primarily be concerned with supportingand embedding good practice; the majority of doctors are gooddoctors who strive to be better. Support for ill doctors isparticularly welcome.

The central role of the medical register is recognised, togetherwith the GMC's four main functions: setting . . . [Full text of this article]

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