A new quality assurance system for medical practitioners in the National Health Service has been put forward by the Department of Health.
The new system, announced on November 12 is intended to ensure that all NHS medical practice is monitored so that problems are identified quickly and that poor performance is quickly dealt with.
All doctors are to be required to take part in external clinical audit with annual standards appraisals. Doctors suspected of poor practice will be referred to new "assessment and support centres" to see if retraining is necessary. If things cannot be put right, the General Medical council will be informed.