Few incompetent doctors are reported to US national data bank

A report last month by the inspector general of the United States Department of Health and Human Services criticised the National Practitioner Data Bank for failing to protect patients from doctors who provided poor care.

The data bank, which was set up the Congress in 1986, requires hospitals and health maintenance organisations to inform the government of any disciplinary actions taken against doctors for incompetence or misconduct. Under the law, hospitals and health maintenance organisations cannot be sued for errors they …