There are currently no periodic checks in place for doctors, but the new ‘revalidation’ process, created in the wake of the Harold Shipman murders, will change that.
From January, doctors will have to go to the GMC every five years with a portfolio of work to prove that they are fit to practise, and demonstrate their ‘continuous professional development’ training.
At the moment they have their GMC registration renewed automatically on an annual basis as long as they haven’t been reported or suspended.
