§ Dr. Richard TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the(a) NHS consultants, (b) general practitioners, (c) public health doctors and (d), managers presently suspended, indicating the durations of the suspensions; and what plans he has to shorten the length of these suspensions. [11249]
§ Mr. HuttonIn the quarter ended 30 September 2001, a total of 33 hospital doctors and dentists had been suspended for six months or longer. The information is not broken down as between consultants and public health doctors. Information is not collected centrally on managers. Currently, three general practitioners are 111W suspended by the National Health Service Tribunal. New procedures and guidance are being developed which should reduce both the incidence and length of suspensions. In addition, NHS employers will be able to seek advice from the National Clinical Assessment Authority.
The NHS Tribunal is due to be abolished in December 2001. Health authorities (and later primary care trusts) will then be able to suspend or remove general practitioners from their lists where appropriate. Time limits will be applied to these suspensions.