Published 27 October 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b4424
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b4424

News

Most UK doctors will have to register with new safeguarding authority

Clare Dyer

1 BMJ

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

A nationwide "vetting and barring" scheme to prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable adults will require most doctors working in the United Kingdom to register with the new Independent Safeguarding Authority.

"Vulnerable adults" has been defined as including anyone receiving health care, so any doctor who treats patients will have to register with the authority. Registration will be phased in over five years from next year.

From this month, employers and regulators are under a new duty to notify the authority if they think an individual has caused harm or poses a risk of harm to children or vulnerable adults.

The scheme, which covers England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (Scotland has a separate scheme), was a key recommendation of the Bichard inquiry, which was set up after the schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman from Soham in Cambridgeshire were killed by their school’s caretaker, Ian Huntley, in . . . [Full text of this article]


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