There are currently over 23,000 foreign doctors registered to work in Britain, but many of them can’t even speak English properly, the General Medical Council has warned. In order to be allowed to work in Britain under European law, some doctors need an interpreter, according to the medical regulator. There are also issues with their levels of competency, leading the NHS to call for the instigation of minimum training requirements across Europe in order that GPs and consultants can safely move from one European country to another with a single set of qualifications.
The risks associated with a lack of standardised language and competency checks became tragically apparent when the German doctor Daniel Ubani administered a lethal dose of painkillers to a pensioner on his first shift working as a locum in England.
The European Commission is currently reviewing the existing arrangements that allow medics to move freely across the continent. In its submission to the review, the NHS European Office said that whilst unnecessary barriers to free movement should be avoided, deficiencies in training and clinical expertise could pose serious risks to patients. They argued that “it is necessary…in this sector to balance the desire to streamline and simplify free movement with the need to maintain minimum quality and safety standards by checking the competence and suitability of professionals who will be providing services.”
The European Economic Area comprises 27 European Union members states, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Doctors in these states are authorised to work in Britain, and currently over 23,000 are registered to do so.
Currently, under the rules of the single market, the GMC is forced to accept the qualifications these doctors have when they come to Britain. With doctors coming from outside the European Economic Area, it is able to carry out competency and language tests, but this isn’t the case with those that have trained in Europe. Those calling for reform stress the senselessness of supporting free movement if that means sacrificing patient safety. If the rules aren’t changed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see an increase in the number in medical negligence cases. By contrast, a stricter system would reduce the likelihood of instances of medical negligence.
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