HC Deb 11 November 1997 vol 300 c536W
30. Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new proposals he has to identify incompetence among NHS surgeons. [13839]

Mr. Milburn

The law bringing into force the General Medical Council's professional performance procedures, which affect all doctors, was implemented on 1 July 1997 and we will shortly be issuing guidance to the National Health Service on its role in these procedures.

In addition, the Chief Medical Officer has written to all Chief Executives and Medical Directors of NHS trusts asking them to ensure that they have effective procedures in place for doctors to report their concerns about the conduct, performance or health of medical colleagues. This builds on the General Medical Council's guidance in Duties of a Doctor which requires all doctors to: act quickly to prevent patients from risk if you have good reason to believe you or a colleague may not be fit for practise".

The effectiveness of these new procedures will be kept under review.