Since April 2013, when the responsibility for the management of performers lists transferred to NHS England, the new regulations required NHS England to remove GPs from a performers list where they have been suspended by the GMC, including GPs suspended under interim orders for suspension.
This was a significant change to the previous regulations, where the old PCTs were not required to take any action as a response to interim suspension orders.
Fortunately, the Department of Health now considers the impact of this aspect of the 2013 regulations to be disproportionate. The imposition of an interim suspension order is a neutral act (i.e. it is not intended to punish) and should not result in removal from the performers lists.
The Department of Health is now considering two alternative options for changes to the 2013 Regulations:
- Return to previous position of the previous regulations;
- Proposal that GPs suspended by an interim suspension order from the GMC should be automatically suspended from the performers lists.
What do you think of these proposals? Leave your comments below, and you can give your own response to the government too.