Chiefs say registration 'will be healthy' for GPs

Published on Monday 31 August 2009 09:59

A NEW system to register GPs should not cause headaches for any city doctors, health chiefs have said.

The General Medical Council's revalidation scheme will see every NHS GP told to submit for a licence.

This will then be updated every five years.

Some critics of the scheme have said that it will only cause more paperwork, while the GMC has argued that, in the long term, it is a far simpler, more efficient way of keeping track of who is practising what and where.

It will also weed out any unfit medics, it claims.

NHS Lothian's medical director Dr Charles Swainson said: "The aim is to ensure doctors are up to date, fit for practice and can demonstrate they are living by their code of conduct – good medical practice.

"And once revalidation begins, the vast majority of doctors will find this new system perfectly sensible and easy to do. They needn't be afraid of it.

"NHS Lothian is in a good position for the change, as we have been undertaking appraisals with doctors for the last five years now."