Primary care trusts' performers lists up for review
Lists kept by primary care trusts of health professionals and organisations approved to work in the NHS in England are being reviewed
by the Department of Health.
The DoH wants to hear about the benefits and disadvantages of the current
system, which requires doctors, dentists and pharmacy contractors (but
not individual pharmacists) to be listed by PCTs so that they can be
stopped from working in the NHS in cases of serious transgression.
The review is considering: whether some or all of the system is needed;
replacing individual PCT lists with a central list; the consequences
of leaving NHS disciplinary action with PCTs or transferring responsibility
to professional bodies; how to remove operational difficulties if the
system stays with PCTs; and what guidance is needed to make sure any
new system works.
The review is intended to lead to a system that meets the Government’s
aim following the reviews of medical and non-medical regulation. That
aim is, the Government has said, that “professional regulation
must create a framework that maintains the justified confidence of patients
in those who care for them as the bedrock of safe and effective clinical
practice and the foundation for effective relationships between patients
and health professionals.”
So far as pharmacists are concerned, the review document says: “Plans
to introduce supplementary list provisions for individual employee pharmacists
were deferred in 2006. We were awaiting the outcome of the consultation
on the regulation of pharmacists and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s
duties and powers. That process is now complete and we are considering
[the] next steps.”
Joy Wingfield, professor of pharmacy law and ethics at the University
of Nottingham, said of the performers list system: “It’s
a jeopardy too far. I’m glad to see that the review questions the
need for the NHS list at all.” She added that PCTs need to apply
consistent criteria for investigation and referral and expressed concern
about the investigatory skills and competence of PCT staff.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the review can e-mail rab.harkins@dh.gsi.gov.uk before 15 June.
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