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Tackling Concerns Locally

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The Tackling Concerns Locally Working Group published their overarching report on 20 March 2009, accompanied by reports of the three subgroups on Clinical Governance, Information Management and Performers List.   These reports recommend improvements to the governance and regulation of healthcare professionals, which will provide greater reassurances for the public and professionals.  

The recommendations are integral to the delivery of the Next Stage Review’s focus on quality by raising standards on patient safety, effectiveness of care and patient experience.  A wide range of partners, with considerable experience in this area, have contributed to the recommendations made in these reports.

The Tackling Concerns Locally Working Group

This overarching working group has coordinated a series of reforms to strengthen local arrangements for identifying poor practice among healthcare workers and taking effective action where poor practice is suspected.  This has been done through six sub-groups, each looking at specific areas of improvements and reform.

Sub-groups

GMC affiliates

Develop and pilot a new system of GMC affiliates at local level. These bodies will provide the General Medical Council with a regional presence in order to support arrangements for joint working between local employers and the GMC.

Information

Design and implement systems for sharing information that could lead to early identification of poor practice in order to better protect the public

Death certification

Develop an improved system for death certification to ensure greater scrutiny of the medical certification of cause of death process.

Responsible officer

Develop a new role of Responsible Officer so that in future all practising doctors in England will relate to a Responsible Officer who will be a senior doctor with local responsibility for overseeing the revalidation process and handling complaints against doctors.

Clinical governance

Improve systems for local investigation and local decision making to ensure patient safety and quality assurance through revitalisation of clinical governance processes.

Performers list

Review the current Performers List arrangements (under which GPs and other primary care contractors must be registered with a primary care trust in order to practise locally), with a view to ensuring that they continue to provide necessary and appropriate safeguards.

Feedback

If you would like to comment on any aspect of the group's work please send your comments in to the address below:

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