§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the operation of an informal black list of doctors used by employing authorities, in the light of the information sent to him by the hon. Member for Brent, South.
638Wspecialty, but many consultants working in the specialty of mental illness (adult) would have responsibility for the treatment of elderly patients.
§ Mr. MoyleThe arrangements referred to by my hon. Friend provide for information about individuals who might seek medical posts to be conveyed by the Department to health authorities, or by one health authority to another. It is used where the employment of the individual in a medical post might put patients at risk, including cases where a person 639W without medical registration is known to be seeking medical posts and producing false evidence of medical registration. Other cases have concerned doctors known to be suffering from mental disorders which might impair their ability to treat patients safely. In the past two years the procedure has been used on five occasions by my Department, and on about 30 occasions by health authorities.
The Medical Act 1978 gives the General Medical Council new powers to take action in relation to doctors whose fitness to practise is seriously impaired through ill-health. These powers will come into effect after the reconstruction of the council in the latter part of next year. I intend at the appropriate time to discuss with the council the implications for the NHS arrangements of its new powers and the operating procedures which it will be working out.