Global Organizations
Gambia and Dubai Join IAMRA
The International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) announced recently that the Gambia Medical and Dental Council and the Dubai Health Authority have joined the organization as its newest members. IAMRA currently has 74 members from 36 countries. The next Biennial Conference of IAMRA will be held in London in 2014.
Source: IAMRA website, December 2012
Australia
Registered Health Practitioners on the Rise in Australia, According to Latest Regulatory Report
The number of registered health practitioners in Australia increased by more than three percent to 548,000 in 2012, according to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and Australia's National Boards. In its 2012 Annual Report, AHPRA reported there are now 548,000 health practitioners in the country, representing an increase of 18,000. Of the new registrants, 3,355 were physicians.
According to the report, 7,594 notifications were filed with regulatory authorities concerning health practitioners over the last year. More than 68,000 criminal history checks were conducted, with 400 assessed as having the potential to affect licensing. The registration of nine practitioners was restricted or refused as a result.
According to AHPRA, more than 110,000 students in accredited courses were studying to be health practitioners as of June 2012.
The Australian regulatory system went through a major overhaul in 2011 and 2012, transitioning from 37 regulatory bodies into one national organization supporting the regulated health professions.
Source: AHPRA news release, November 1, 2012
United Kingdom
UK's New Revalidation System for Physicians Officially Launched
The United Kingdom's new system of medical licensure, which requires periodic appraisals of physicians, formally launched on December 3, 2012. The UK's licensed physicians are now legally required to provide evidence that they are engaged in continuing professional development.
The new system, known as revalidation, will be run by the General Medical Council (GMC). Physician licensure will be based on regularly scheduled appraisals and information physicians collect about their practice, including feedback from patients, doctors, nurses and other colleagues.
The UK is the first nation in the world to introduce such a system across its entire health care system, covering all physicians. In order to keep their licenses valid, physicians will be required to revalidate on a regular basis, usually every five years.
“This is an important day for doctors and patients. We are confident that over time revalidation will make a significant contribution to the quality of care that patients receive and should give them increased confidence that the doctors who treat them are up to date,” said Professor Sir Peter Rubin, Chair of the GMC.
The GMC has begun informing physicians of their revalidation dates and expects to revalidate the majority of licensed physicians by March 2016.
Since April, the GMC has been working with physicians to help them prepare for the new system, including the work of ‘designated bodies’ — organizations that will have the responsibility of providing physicians with a regular appraisal and helping them with revalidation.
There were 177,659 registered and licensed doctors in England in 2011; 19,373 in Scotland; 10,400 in Wales; and 6,454 in Northern Ireland.
To learn more about the UK's revalidation system, visit www.gmc-uk.org.
Source: GMC website, December 2012
GMC Launches Confidential Helpline for Physicians to Raise Concerns About Patient Safety
For the first time, UK physicians who are worried about patient safety are now able to contact the General Medical Council (GMC) through a new confidential helpline.
The helpline will enable physicians to seek advice on any issues they may be dealing with and to raise concerns about patient safety. The helpline will be staffed by specially trained advisors who will be able to take forward information about individual doctors or organizations that can be investigated by the GMC.
The new reporting system includes an online decision aid to help physicians report patient safety concerns.
The new services are part of the GMC's effort to create a more open and transparent working culture in which all health care workers feel empowered to speak up. The launch of both services follows the publication of new GMC guidance for doctors, Raising and Acting on Concerns about Patient Safety, which was sent to every doctor in the UK in 2012.
According to the GMC, the new system provides legal protection against victimization or dismissal for people who reveal information to raise genuine concerns and expose malpractice in the workplace.
The new online tool guides physicians through the process of raising concerns and sets out what they need to do if they have concerns about the conduct of colleagues, the systems in place, staff shortages and other operational issues that impact patient safety.
It also includes case studies to illustrate how doctors may handle incidents that they can tackle themselves or more challenging situations that require involvement from a regulator or other external body.
“Being a good doctor is more than simply being a good clinician. It requires a commitment to improve the quality of services and a willingness to speak up when things are not right — this is not always easy, but it is at the heart of medical professionalism,” said Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the General Medical Council.
“In the past, many doctors have felt uneasy raising concerns about policies and procedures or about their colleagues,” he said. “We hope this new service will be useful in helping them navigate their way through the system. We also hope it will give doctors the confidence to act when they have concerns.”
“The eyes and ears of health professionals are often the most valuable means of protecting patients and ensuring high-quality care,” Dickson said.
Source: GMC news release, December 10, 2012
