NHS discipline process speeded up

The existing system caused concern

The government has promised to speed up disciplinary processes for doctors, dentists and nurses in the NHS.

There have been concerns over the length and cost of such procedures.

A Public Accounts Committee report last year found they cost around £40m a year, because of doctors suspended on full pay and legal costs of drawn-out cases.

The government pledged that, under the new plans, most hearings would be resolved within 13 weeks.

The new process offers hospital doctors, employers and patients a fair deal Dr Alan Russell, BMA

It also said any doctors found to be performing poorly would be retrained so that they could return to practice safely as soon as possible.

Under the current system, the target for handling disciplinary cases is 32 weeks, but many cases become unnecessarily prolonged.

The changes will also end the right of consultants to directly appeal to the health secretary, which has meant cases can take up to a further eight months to be resolved.

The new framework will come into force on 1 June 2005.

'Clarity and coherence'

Health Minister John Hutton said: "We must do all we can to avoid doctors and dentists being suspended for long periods on full pay.

"The existing procedures are unjustifiably prolonged and are not fair to NHS staff, taxpayers or patients."

He added: "The new process ensures resources are not diverted away from patient care into the pockets of lawyers. Minor cases will be resolved faster.

"Exceptional cases will be guaranteed the close attention needed to safeguard patients, while also offering fair treatment to doctors and dentists.

"This move improves the thoroughness in which allegations against doctors and dentists will be investigated. It is about achieving the right balance between protecting patient interests and getting innocent staff back to work for the good of the NHS."

Chief Medical Officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, said: "These reforms reinforce other recent measures all of which put an unremitting focus on patient safety whilst treating the small number of doctors who have serious problems with their practice, fairly and effectively."

Steve Barnett, director of NHS Employers, said: "These new procedures will bring clarity and coherence to what has always been a complex and difficult situation for employers in the NHS.

"The old process did not work in the interests of patients, NHS organisations or doctors and dentists and needed to be resolved.

"The new approach will enable employers to identify and attempt to remedy any potential problems before damage is done."

Training

Dr Alan Russell, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association's Consultants Committee, said: "We think the new process offers hospital doctors, employers and patients a fair deal.

"We have tried to strike a balance between the need to ensure that concerns are dealt with quickly and making sure that doctors get a fair hearing."

He added: "We are also pleased that the procedures recognise that any concerns about junior doctors' performance will be pursued as training issues in the first instance."

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the announcement was a "re-announcement" of a pledge made in 2003.

"It demonstrates again that the government has no sense of urgency about making the NHS more efficient."