Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196142 on Locums: Qualifications, what elements of Sir Keith Pearson’s review entitled Taking revalidation forward need legislative change to be implemented; what legislation needs to be amended; whether the Government assessed whether it should implement those changes; and with reference to the Zholia Alemi case whether the Government plans to make those changes.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Sir Keith Pearson’s review of medical revalidation, Taking Revalidation Forward (TRF), was published in January 2017. One of his recommendations was that:
“The Departments of Health, in consultation with the GMC, should review the RO Regulations with a view to establishing a prescribed connection to a designated body for all doctors who need a licence to practise in the UK. They should also review the criteria for prescribed connections for locums on short-term placements.”
As recommended by TRF, the Department is working with the General Medical Council, NHS England and other stakeholders to assess whether any amendments are needed to the Medical Profession (Responsible Officer) Regulations 2010 and 2013. No decision has yet been made.
Any changes to the Medical Profession (Responsible Officer) Regulations 2010 and 2013 would require legislative change and would be subject to Parliamentary time.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, further to WPQ 195560, by what method of communication patients or family members who have a concern about contact with Zholia Alemi or the care received by her have been advised to contact the local NHS service where they were treated.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The General Medical Council (GMC) has provided on its website information for patients who are concerned about contact with Zholia Alemi. Patients and family members are advised to speak to the general practitioner surgery, hospital or clinic where they were treated. The GMC’s contact centre is available to people seeking further information.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will undertake a review of the General Medical Council's procedures for revalidating medical professionals as a result of the Zholia Alemi case.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The General Medical Council (GMC) is the independent regulator of doctors across the United Kingdom. The processes for revalidation are a matter for the GMC itself.
The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) oversees the work of the healthcare independent regulatory bodies in the UK, including the GMC. The PSA annually reviews the performance of the GMC and considers whether it has met the 24 Standards of Good regulation, covering the four key functions of governance and standards, education and training, registration and fitness to practise.
As recommended by Taking Revalidation Forward, the Department is working with the GMC, NHS England and other stakeholders to consider whether any amendments are needed to the Medical Profession (Responsible Officer) Regulations 2010 and 2013.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the powers conferred by the Medical Profession (Responsible Officer) Regulations 2010 and 2013 that enable locum agencies to revalidate doctors.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Sir Keith Pearson’s review of medical revalidation, Taking Revalidation Forward (TRF), was published in January 2017. The review made recommendations to improve some aspects of revalidation, for the benefit of both doctors and patients. As recommended by TRF, the Department is working with the General Medical Council, NHS England and other stakeholders to consider whether any amendments are needed to the Medical Profession (Responsible Officer) Regulations 2010 and 2013.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Sir Keith Pearson’s review entitled Taking revalidation forward: improving the process of relicensing for doctors, published in January 2017, what steps his Department have taken in response to identified weaknesses in the appraisal and revalidation processes for doctors working as locums; and if he will publish a timeline showing when such steps were (a) initiated and (b) completed.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Sir Keith Pearson’s review of medical revalidation, Taking Revalidation Forward (TRF), was published in January 2017. Sir Keith reviewed evidence on the impact of revalidation and concluded "that revalidation has already delivered significant benefits".
The review made recommendations to improve some aspects of revalidation, for the benefit of both doctors and patients. Implementation of the recommendations was overseen by the Revalidation Oversight Group, chaired by the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC has advised that all recommendations have been implemented, except for those which may require legislative change.
As recommended by TRF, the Department is working with the GMC, NHS England and other stakeholders to consider whether any amendments are needed to the Medical Profession (Responsible Officer) Regulations 2010 and 2013.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to inform (a) patients and (b) family members of patients who were treated or assessed by Zholia Alemi that she was employed as an NHS psychiatrist without qualifications for the role.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
NHS England has advised that it has established an Incident Management Group (IMG) to identify and assess any clinical concerns relating to the practise of Zholia Alemi. The IMG aims to confirm Zholia Alemi’s employment history, to assess clinical decisions made by her and to consider whether individuals need to be contacted in due course.
Patients or family members who have a concern about Zholia Alemi or the care received by her have been advised to contact the local NHS service where they were treated.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what forms of redress are available to (a) patients and (b) family members of patients who were treated or assessed by Zholia Alemi who was employed as an NHS psychiatrist despite without qualifications for the role; and what steps his Department plans to take to contact those patients to provide guidance on those forms of redress.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Redress for actions of National Health Service bodies may be obtained by making a complaint to the provider or the commissioner of the NHS service. A clinical negligence claim against the NHS may also be made.
Patients or family members who have a concern about contact with Zholia Alemi or the care received by her have been advised to contact the local NHS service where they were treated.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to verify the qualifications of the approximately 3,000 individuals who were allowed to join the medical register because they claimed to have a qualification from another country which exempted them from taking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board exam; and how long that process is estimated to take.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
This information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the approximately 3,000 individuals who were allowed to join the medical register because they claimed to have a qualification from another country which exempted them from taking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board exam are employed in the NHS in each (a) health trust and (b) medical discipline.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
This information is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the medical discipline was of each of the approximately 3,000 individuals who were allowed to join the medical register because they claimed to have a qualification from another country which exempted them from taking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board exam.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
This information is not held centrally.