Press release: NHS Confederation welcomes new professional standards framework for doctors and dentists
29 Dec 2003
The NHS Confederation, which was involved in the development of the new framework "Maintaining High Professional Standards in the Modern NHS: a framework for the initial handling of concerns about doctors and dentists in the NHS", welcomed today's publication of new arrangements regarding the suspension of doctors.
Policy Manager, Alastair Henderson said;
"The new procedures should bring clarity and coherence to what are always managerially complex and difficult situations.
"Current arrangements have tended not to work in the interests of patients, NHS organisations or doctors themselves.
"Whilst it vital that trusts retain the power to exclude staff where there are concerns about patient safety or in cases of misconduct, numerous or lengthy suspensions are good for neither the NHS nor doctors concerned. We hope that these new procedures will make such situations a thing of the past.
"The procedures will also help spot potential problems before damage is done. That has to be in everyone's interest."
ENDS
Notes for editors
- The NHS Confederation represents the organisations that make up the NHS. Our members include the majority of NHS trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; trusts and NHS boards in Scotland; and health and social services trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
Contact details
- Contact Media Relations Manager Joanna Clason on 020 7074 3306 or 07798 571078 or Senior Media Officer Amy Darlington on 020 7074 3304 or 07767 770309. For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.
Back to media centre
