Doctors' pulses racing over patient-care rating website

Published on Tuesday 15 July 2008 10:29

DOCTORS today hit out at a new website encouraging patients to rate their standard of care.

Medics believe iwantgreatcare.org will lead to professionals being unfairly criticised and even libelled.

The site, which has been set up by an English doctor, went live at the weekend and includes the details of dozens of Edinburgh hospital doctors and GPs, which the site's bosses say were taken from the most up-to-date records available.

People can rate them out of 100 in trust, listening and recommended categories, and leave comments.

However, one consultant had used his own rating to protest about being included, especially as he has now left the Western General Hospital, where he is listed as working as a urologist.

David Tulloch wrote: "I am the above named.

"I strongly protest the inclusion of my details on this website without my express consent.

"I no longer practise in the UK and, although I feel my practice has been good, I strongly resent the way this website has been started."

The British Medical Association has also been critical of the site.

Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the BMA's Scottish general practitioners committee, said: "I can accept the argument that we should be rated, but we give questionnaires to patients to fill in anonymously so they can be honest.

"Very few doctors are not aware of what their patients think.

"Obviously there are concerns about it being libellous. A patient could have not been given what they wanted. That might have been appropriate, but they might then give that doctor a bad rating, which would be unfair.

"It is being marketed as some great new way of improving patient care, but I have my doubts. It is much more useful for patients to let their own GPs know their opinions."

Despite its opposition, the BMA has no plans to try and get the website shut down.

Similar sites for other professions, such as Rate My Teacher, have led to concerns about bullying, abuse and libel.

The creators of I Want Great Care believe they have included the necessary safeguards to make sure it is used in a constructive way.

Dr Neil Bacon, who previously set up www.doctors.net.uk which is now used by 95 per cent of doctors in the country, said: "We have technology to track specific phrases so if people use a swearword their comment will not go on and they won't be able to return to the site.

"If people give a score which is 20 per cent less than the average then it gets flagged up and we check for abusive comments. And when you make a comment you receive an e-mail which you have to confirm before it goes live."

Dr Bacon, who has taken a year away from medicine but plans to return to his job as a kidney specialist, having previously worked at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, added: "When we were looking at setting this up we spoke to hundreds and hundreds of patients through groups and associations and every single one has welcomed the idea.

"Doctors have of course been concerned about how this will run but, when they see how professional it is, everyone I've spoken to has said the protection against abuse is fantastic."

NHS Lothian declined to comment on the website.

&#149 www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

&#149 www.bma.org.uk

&#149 www.iwantgreatcare.org