Medical Protection calls for focus on accountability, wellbeing and workforce as part of Change NHS

Reforming the way doctors are held to account combined with steps to improve the provision of wellbeing services and career development opportunities for healthcare professionals should play a key role in the future direction of the healthcare system in England, according to Medical Protection.

The recommendations are outlined in Medical Protection’s submission to the government’s Change NHS consultation, which is being undertaken as part of the development of the new 10-Year Health Plan.

Key among the recommendations is for the next government to substantially improve the way that the accountability of healthcare professionals is managed by ensuring the ways in which doctors are held to account are fair, sensitive and proportionate.

This includes acting immediately on a long overdue commitment to remove the General Medical Council’s (GMC) right of appeal over decisions made by fitness to practise panels, followed by a wider plan to reform the GMC powers, as well as steps to improve the conduct of NHS disciplinary investigations.

Medical Protection is also calling for the rising cost of clinical negligence to be addressed, which on current trends is set to double in the next decade to £4.6 billion. Action to end to the criminalisation of medical error is also required to ensure gross negligence manslaughter charges are only brought against doctors if an act is deemed to be intentional, reckless or grossly careless.

Meanwhile, to better support the wellbeing of healthcare professionals, local access to mental health support should be made available for all NHS staff as well as continued access to NHS Practitioner Health.

This follows a 2023 Medical Protection survey, which found nearly half (46%) of UK healthcare professionals believed their mental wellbeing was worse than compared to during the pandemic. 

And to address the ongoing workforce challenges, Medical Protection calls on the government to create a dedicated NHS staff retention strategy.

Appropriate support for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) from the moment they arrive in the UK as well as action to ensure Specialist, Associate Specialist and Specialty doctors (SAS) and locally employed doctors have access to training opportunities and career development is also required.

Dr Ben White, Medical Protection Deputy Medical Director, said:

“At Medical Protection, we believe that the new Government has an opportunity to prioritise long overdue reforms that would significantly improve the experiences and outcomes of healthcare professionals and their patients. The start of a new Parliament – and the commitment to introducing a 10-year plan – provide the opportunity to make real progress in areas that are in need of significant change.

“As a medical defence organisation, we see first-hand the impact that disciplinaries, GMC investigations and other matters have on doctors, and how these could be handled better. We support members during their darkest times, and we have a good view of the support they need for their mental wellbeing. We also see the impact that working in under resourced or unsupportive environments can have on healthcare professionals and their patients.

“By addressing accountability, wellbeing and workforce issues, the government can create an NHS where healthcare professionals are supported. These steps would play an important role in improving patient care, as healthcare professionals who are happy and supported find it much easier to be compassionate and provide safer care, and healthcare professionals who are not excluded from clinical practice for longer than necessary are able to continue doing the best for their patients”.

Medical Protection’s submission to the Change NHS initiative follows the release in May 2024 of a policy document outlining its priorities for the next Government ahead of the General Election.

Notes

For further information contact [email protected]

Click here to view Medical Protection’s submission to Change NHS.

Click here to view Medical Protection’s Priorities for the Next Government report.

The Medical Protection survey referenced above was completed by 861 doctors in the UK. The survey was in the field from 20 March - 17 April 2023.

About MPS

The Medical Protection Society Limited (“MPS”) is the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals. We protect and support the professional interests of more than 300,000 members around the world. Membership provides access to expert advice and support and can also provide, depending on the type of membership required, the right to request indemnity for any complaints or claims arising from professional practice.

Our in-house experts assist with the wide range of legal and ethical problems that arise from professional practice. This can include clinical negligence claims, complaints, medical and dental council inquiries, legal and ethical dilemmas, disciplinary procedures, inquests and fatal accident inquiries.

Our philosophy is to support safe practice in medicine and dentistry by helping to avert problems in the first place. We do this by promoting risk management through our workshops, E-learning, clinical risk assessments, publications, conferences, lectures and presentations.

MPS is not an insurance company. All the benefits of membership of MPS are discretionary as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.