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I welcome the excellent report prepared by the Medical Protection Society. As one of the people who was involved in setting up new guidelines for NHS Trusts to follow in respect of HR disciplinary procedures, as outlined on Page 3 of the report, I consider that three key things must happen.
Firstly, as noted in the report, managers, and healthcare staff in management roles, need to be properly trained and properly accountable when they are involved in NHS disciplinary procedures. Managers should therefore be regulated just like doctors and nurses are regulated.
Secondly, there should be a requirement that principles of fairness are imprinted into NHS disciplinary procedures. These are what I have termed PIE principles – Plurality, Independence and Expertise in panels.
Thirdly, there should be an independent body, a Staff Care Quality Commission, that has the power to prosecute and fine Trusts who abuse NHS disciplinary procedures. All of this may require the government to set up an Independent Inquiry into past cases where vulnerable staff such as NHS whistleblowers and BME staff have been victimised, so that lessons can be learned.
Re: NHS trusts must train those conducting disciplinary procedures to treat doctors fairly, says MPS
Dear Editor
I welcome the excellent report prepared by the Medical Protection Society. As one of the people who was involved in setting up new guidelines for NHS Trusts to follow in respect of HR disciplinary procedures, as outlined on Page 3 of the report, I consider that three key things must happen.
Firstly, as noted in the report, managers, and healthcare staff in management roles, need to be properly trained and properly accountable when they are involved in NHS disciplinary procedures. Managers should therefore be regulated just like doctors and nurses are regulated.
Secondly, there should be a requirement that principles of fairness are imprinted into NHS disciplinary procedures. These are what I have termed PIE principles – Plurality, Independence and Expertise in panels.
Thirdly, there should be an independent body, a Staff Care Quality Commission, that has the power to prosecute and fine Trusts who abuse NHS disciplinary procedures. All of this may require the government to set up an Independent Inquiry into past cases where vulnerable staff such as NHS whistleblowers and BME staff have been victimised, so that lessons can be learned.
Competing interests: No competing interests