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05/02/2010
Out-Of-Hours GP Services Tightened
GPs providing out of hours care in England will be subject to tighter controls and more robust skills and knowledge testing, Health Minister Mike O'Brien announced today.
These tough new measures form part of a package that together with stronger national standards and tighter monitoring of performance will improve GP out of hours services.
Mr O'Brien's announcement follows a coroner's ruling yesterday that a German doctor employed by a primary care trust in Cambridgeshire was "incompetent and not of an acceptable standard".
Two patients died after receiving treatment from Dr Daniel Ubani.
David Gray, 70, from Cambridgeshire, died in 2008 from an overdose of diamorphine given by the GP. Iris Edwards, 86, Dr Ubani's next patient, later died of a heart attack.
A report 'General Practice Out of Hours Services' published by the Department of Health outlines 24 recommendations and expects all Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to act on them as a matter of urgency.
PCTs have already been issued with interim guidance to assist them in complying with their obligations to ensure all doctors admitted onto their list of approved out of hours GPs have a satisfactory knowledge of English.
Today’s measures will go even further, introducing stronger national minimum standards and producing a model contract for PCTs to use when procuring out of hours services.
The Government said it will consult on the content, with the new rules expected to be in place by the end of the year.
The Department will also look to GPs for input on how local out of hours services meet the needs of their local communities.
Mr O’Brien said: "I extend my condolences to the family of Mr Gray. Patient safety must be a top priority of the NHS. Although out of hours services are much better than before 2004, some PCTs are not meeting their legal obligations and I am determined to tackle this.
"By April 2012 every provider of GP healthcare, including out of hours providers, will need to be registered with the Care Quality Commission and will be subject to checks on compliance."
(PR/GK)
These tough new measures form part of a package that together with stronger national standards and tighter monitoring of performance will improve GP out of hours services.
Mr O'Brien's announcement follows a coroner's ruling yesterday that a German doctor employed by a primary care trust in Cambridgeshire was "incompetent and not of an acceptable standard".
Two patients died after receiving treatment from Dr Daniel Ubani.
David Gray, 70, from Cambridgeshire, died in 2008 from an overdose of diamorphine given by the GP. Iris Edwards, 86, Dr Ubani's next patient, later died of a heart attack.
A report 'General Practice Out of Hours Services' published by the Department of Health outlines 24 recommendations and expects all Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to act on them as a matter of urgency.
PCTs have already been issued with interim guidance to assist them in complying with their obligations to ensure all doctors admitted onto their list of approved out of hours GPs have a satisfactory knowledge of English.
Today’s measures will go even further, introducing stronger national minimum standards and producing a model contract for PCTs to use when procuring out of hours services.
The Government said it will consult on the content, with the new rules expected to be in place by the end of the year.
The Department will also look to GPs for input on how local out of hours services meet the needs of their local communities.
Mr O’Brien said: "I extend my condolences to the family of Mr Gray. Patient safety must be a top priority of the NHS. Although out of hours services are much better than before 2004, some PCTs are not meeting their legal obligations and I am determined to tackle this.
"By April 2012 every provider of GP healthcare, including out of hours providers, will need to be registered with the Care Quality Commission and will be subject to checks on compliance."
(PR/GK)
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