§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations his Department has received concerning(a) the harmful effect on patients of being treated by surgeons and physicians who are not specialists in their field and (b) the chances of such patients making a full recovery; [75773]
(2) what representations his Department has received concerning the number of patients undergoing treatment by surgeons and physicians who are not specialist in their field. [75779]
§ Mr. HuttonNone. All doctors must work within the limits of their professional competence, as required by General Medical Council (GMC) guidance, Good Medical Practice. Doctors should not, therefore, be given or take on responsibility for patients if they are not competent to do so. This is to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care and have the best chances of making a full recovery.
Nevertheless all National Health Service patients in hospital are likely to have some contact with a doctor who is not a fully trained specialist. The NHS in England employs about 31,700 doctors, not yet qualified to work independently, in training grades and about 11,800 staff grade doctors, some of whom are trained specialists. 24,400 NHS consultants supervise the work of all of these doctors and are responsible for the care patients receive. Consultants are all trained specialists included on the specialist register held by the GMC.