Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures are in place to monitor medical staff who have been moved to administrative roles after concerns about them have been raised.

Doctors employed by trusts about whom a concern has been raised should be managed in accordance with the framework ‘Maintaining High Professional Standards in the Modern NHS’. This guidance provides for consideration to be given to whether a doctor should be allowed to work in a limited capacity or a non-clinical role whilst an investigation is carried out rather than being excluded from the workplace. Supervision and monitoring of the doctor during this period is agreed locally in accordance with the employer’s assessment of the level of risk.

General practitioners (GPs) on the Performers List in England who have a concern raised about them are managed under the National Health Service (Performers Lists) (England) Regulations 2013, as amended. These regulations provide that a GP can have either conditions placed on their practice, they can be suspended pending further investigation or they can be removed from the list completely.

The imposition of conditions and suspension requires ongoing monitoring by NHS Regional Professional Standards teams but NHS England would not capture whether the GP concerned has moved to an administrative role.