§ Dr. SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what sanctions his Department is able to impose upon doctors who remove patients from their list(a) without good cause and (b) against the patients' interests; [37637]
(2) in what circumstances doctors are permitted to remove patients from their list because the patient has made a complaint against the doctor; [37638]
(3) what action he has taken to prevent doctors from removing patients from their list because the patient is (a) too expensive to treat or (b) makes an unusually high demand on the doctor. [37640]
§ Mr. MaloneWhere a general practitioner-patient relationship breaks down it is important that there are no more restrictions than are necessary on the freedom of either party to terminate the relationship. Safeguards are in place to prevent discrimination against patients. The General Medical Council issued advice in 1992 to all doctors that it is unacceptable to discriminate against patients on ground of age, sex, sexual orientation, race, colour, religious belief, perceived economic worth or the amount of work they are likely to generate by virtue of their clinical condition. Disciplinary action can be taken against any doctor who acts unethically.