"We have requested that some of the senior doctors be investigated for their role as managers integrally involved in the introduction of this. We have asked the GMC to investigate whether their professional and managerial actions and conduct in relation to SSR/MTAS fell seriously below the high standards that are expected by the profession, as laid out in ‘Management for Doctors’ and elsewhere, and whether their deficient performance, and their failure to meet the published GMC Guidance for Doctors in management roles, was so significant that their actions would amount to misconduct and/or deficient professional performance and would impair their fitness to practice in this managerial field of work under section 35C of the Medical Act 1983 (“the 1983 Act”)."
Remedy UK have written to the GMC to request that the senior doctors involved in MTAS, SSR and MMC be investigated for their actions. The full details of the request can be read at the Remedy UK website in full here.
I can only say 'hear, hear' in response, it's not about being vindictive, it's about ensuring that those in charge of the big schemes and reforms are aware that they must behave properly in their roles, it is simply not good enough to say 'lessons have been learnt' and for nothing else to happen.
Those who failed so many people so very badly with MMC and MTAS must be held to account, not only to restore people's faith in the system but in order to go about preventing more disasters like this happening in the future. It does seem that some lessons have been learnt, however it is also abundantly clear that other have not, for example the woeful application system for the Foundation job schemes does look rather similar to the failed MTAS methods.
Whether the GMC will do anything about this is another matter altogether. Many have rumoured just how close the GMC bigwigs are to certain members of the medicopolitical establishement, and for this reason it would appear unlikely that someone living in the house of cards would start blowing a gale. Stranger things have happened though.
