Expert Calls For Issues To Be Addressed

Health authorities have been urged by a medical negligence expert at Irwin Mitchell to put patient safety first following concerns that the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) treatment of doctors who are providing substandard care is too lenient.

According to a report by the Commons Health Select Committee, the public is being placed at risk in cases when the GMC allows medical professionals to continue to work despite concerns raised over their skills.

The Guardian reports that the committee considered a range of examples as part of its review into the issue, with former GMC president Sir Donald Irvine calling for the threshold of measurement for safe working practices to be raised.

Lisa Jordan, a Partner and medical negligence specialist at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, said any concerns that the safety of patients may be impacted on in the current system need to be urgently addressed.

She outlined: “Many of the cases we act in have happened as a result of serious and avoidable failings by medical professionals.

“Sadly, such scenarios often highlight that some practising doctors have been linked to previous problems in care, which clearly raises questions over the effectiveness of health authorities to hold people working in the field to account.

“Improvements in this area are vital, particularly if the government pushes ahead with plans to cut Legal Aid funding which would impact on the ability of vulnerable members of society who have suffered as a result of negligence to access justice. We are urging ministers to rethink this.

“The findings of the committee need to be carefully considered so lessons can be learnt.”