Check ups for doctors

Doctors in Berkshire and Hampshire are going to get regular check-ups, to make sure they are doing their job properly.

South Central NHS is one of ten areas in the country to pilot the scheme, which will see doctors being assessed by trained assessors. Medical Director Peter Lees says it will give them a chance to update their skills, "The danger is that we have a system where you train intensively up until you become a consultant and then you have a period of 35 years where you are not updating your skills."

If the plan proves successful, it will be rolled out across the UK and be used to check doctors are practising safely. The whole project has been put in place to avoid another Harold Shipman case, where dangerous GPs are allowed to slip through the net. But equally, Peter says it is important we realise most doctors are doing their job properly and are practising safely, "Most doctors are very safe to practise and are doing a great job. I think this will also help them to see areas they can improve and in the end offer the best service possible to the patients."

 Click here to listen to the full interview with Peter Lees.