The lethal locums who are allowed to carry on
HOSPITALS are failing to raise concerns about incompetent locums, the doctors’ watchdog warns today.
The General Medical Council says some managers refuse to alert other hospitals about potentially unsafe agency workers who demand up to £155 an hour to cover shifts.
Some told locum agencies not to supply them with certain doctors – but didn’t make a formal complaint.
They also failed to provide ‘frank feedback’ to the GMC about the individuals, leaving them free to work at other trusts – possibly endangering patients.
The regulator’s warning backs up widespread concerns about locum doctors who cover for serious shortages of staff on the NHS.
Some fly in from abroad or drive in from elsewhere in the UK and do blocks of back-to-back shifts at hospitals.
Experts say they tend to be less competent than their full-time colleagues, partly because they are unfamiliar with the system of working.
But growing numbers of doctors are stepping down from their permanent posts to become ‘ career locums’ because they can earn more money, but with less responsibility.
Demand is soaring, particularly in understaffed departments such as A&E and elderly wards.
There are 8,500 locum doctors in Britain, hired out by 86 agencies.
The GMC’s findings are published in a report today investigating new, fiveyearly ‘revalidation’ checks for all doctors introduced in 2012.
These require all doctors to provide evidence that they are still competent to practice. Sir Keith Pearson, chairman of the GMC’s revalidation advisory board, said he was concerned that some locums and doctors were ‘falling outside the most exacting standards’.
He said hospitals may be failing to alert the GMC or other trusts about incompetent locums because they fear being sued by the medics.
The General Medical Council also highlighted how doctors were failing to get enough feedback from patients – some of whom were too scared to say what they thought.
As part of the revalidation process, doctors are required to gather at least 50 questionnaires from patients about their treatment.
But the GMC warned that some patients were ‘put off’ providing negative feedback in case it affected the care they received.
Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA), warned that locums could be ‘falling through the cracks’.
He added: ‘Locum agencies should all do what the best do, which is to organise and provide continued professional development, appraisal and revalidation for these doctors.’
Jane Mordue, of the patients’ campaign group Healthwatch England, said: ‘Making it easier for patients to give regular feedback on their experiences is absolutely essential to helping doctors and other NHS staff know how they are doing and improve where they need to.’
Health minister Philip Dunne said: ‘We know there is more to do to ensure that revalidation is as effective as possible for doctors.
‘The report identifies a crucial issue with locums being revalidated for the roles they are undertaking, so we’ll want to see further progress in future.’
‘Falling through the cracks’