Read the Patients Association's letter to the Secretary of State on Revalidation of Doctors here
Author:Peter Wasson
Date Added:13 June 2012
Revalidation has been proposed as a rolling programme of ongoing review and assessment of doctors to ensure that they are fit to practise throughout their careers, not just when they first qualify. Under the current proposals, doctors would be reassessed every five years and would need to show that they have continue to develop as professionals while maintaining standards of practise.
The Department of Health is expected to make an announcement later in the summer on whether revalidation will go ahead or whether it will be further delayed.
Dr Hamish Meldrum, Chair of the British Medical Association, recently wrote to the Department of Health expressing his concerns about revalidation and how prepared the professions were to undertake it. You can read his letter here.
Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive also wrote to the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, detailing our response to Dr Meldrum's letter and giving our unreserved support for revalidation. You can read her letter here.
Speaking after the release of the letter, Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients Association said,
“Patient confidence and trust in their doctor is essential. Without it, patient care suffers immeasurably. Revalidation is a key tool in ensuring that patients can have full confidence in their doctor’s abilities and expertise. Many patients think that doctors skills and abilities are already reviewed and updated. Revalidation is not about penalizing doctors, it is about ensuring that doctors are fit to practice and ready to provide the highest quality care throughout their careers. We cannot afford to continue stalling, now is not the time for further delay. It has been 13 years since revalidation was first suggested and we have waited long enough. We appreciate the need for this to be implemented correctly, however further delays will only put at risk patient trust in doctors which is so fundamental to effective patient care.”
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