Fitness to Practice
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Fitness to Practice
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The United Kingdom’s General Medical Council has formally handed decision-making authority over a doctor’s fitness to practice to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS). The se
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Fitness to Practice
posted at 16/6/2012 5:17 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 640
First: 2/2/2011 Last: 18/5/2013 |
The United Kingdom’s General Medical Council has formally handed decision-making authority over a doctor’s fitness to practice to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS). The service, which will be headed by His Honour Judge David Pearl, formerly a commissioner on the Judicial Appointments Commission, which selects judges in England and Wales, was established by the British Parliament in 2011 in to ensure that “evidence-based, impartial decisions” occurred with respect to fitness to practice decisions (www.fsrh.org/pdfs/MPTSintroduction.pdf). But the General Medical Council will retain total authority over investigation of complaints against a physician and is seeking Parliamentary approval for the right to appeal MPTS decisions. “The launch of the MPTS is the biggest change to doctors’ fitness to practise hearings for more than 150 years,” Niall Dickson, the council’s chief executive, stated in a press release (www.gmc-uk.org/news/13286.asp). “It represents a key part of our reforms and delivers a clear separation between investigations and the decisions made about a doctor’s fitness to practise. Although panels already make their decisions independently, it is important that their autonomy is clear and that the oversight of their work is quite separate from our investigatory activity. We hope that the MPTS will strengthen professional and public confidence that our hearings are impartial, fair and transparent — the fact that the service is led by a judicial figure who has a direct line to Parliament should provide that assurance.” |
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Re: Fitness to Practice
posted at 16/6/2012 5:47 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3037
First: 27/3/2012 Last: 18/5/2013 |
The decision by the GMC regarding MPTS appears to be a significant step ahead which will hopefully 'strengthen professional and public confidence that our hearings are impartial, fair and transparent'. |
