Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Knight of Collingtree (Conservative). It was answered on Tuesday, 5 July 2005.

NHS: Suspensions

Question: My Lords, is the Minister aware that NCAS, which was set up, as he rightly said, to try and deal with the problem, has proved a great disappointment to the medical profession because it is so biased against doctors? Does he consider it fair that hearings are in secret, that the doctor has no right of appeal and no right for a legal representative and that the trusts are in fact prosecutor, judge, jury and hangman? Why is it that in this country we treat those who commit the worst crimes in the criminal calendar with more fairness and humanity than we do suspended hospital doctors?

Answer: My Lords, the record of NCAS, which was introduced by this Government to deal with the problems of suspension which were left behind by a previous government, includes an achievement: that 85 per cent of the cases it has dealt with have not resulted in suspensions. That must be good news for many of the senior doctors involved. The new procedures which have been agreed with the medical profession are now mandatory across NHS trusts, conform with all good practice and fairness, and doctors and dentists involved in those procedures have a right of appeal to employment tribunals.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 673 c532-3
Session: 2005-06
Oral question type: 1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Disciplinary proceedings Appeals Doctors Legal representation NHS National Clinical Assessment Authority Administrative delays
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk