In the USA States, since the 1970s, about 150 hours of Category 1 CME`credits every three years is needed for a med.licence. Covered by two five-day conferences. The CPSO is copying the idea of compulsory CME.
At last the CPSO is facing the problem of patients physically threatening MDs to prescribe opioids. There is also the routine blackmailing of GPs to prescribe opioids with the threat of timewasting complaints to the CPSO. For the past 50 years USA MDs in many States,`have had two licences; one for medicine the other optional licence for prescribing narcotics. Many MDs do not need to prescribe opioids and do not pay for the optional licence.
The CPSO regulaly copies the Mother Country's General Medical Council. The latest fad is Revalidation.
The CPSO wants to check every Ontario MD at 10y intervals: shortened to every 5y. for the Over 70s.
The assessors are charitably less than brilliant. No really good MD has the time to snoop into another practice. A few honest CPSO assessors do admit that they "appropriate"good business ideas.
The biggest mass murderer in Medical history Late UK GP H.SHIPMAN won an award for practice efficiency. A past CPSO President GP. S.BAIN was convicted for not informing a patient and Public Health that a patient cought AIDS from a blood transfusion. CPSO Pres.BAIN was convinced, without actually asking the patient, that there was no physical marital activity. Bain was wrong. Mrs.Pitman sued and won
damages before she died from AIDS. (details on web).
The CPSO is at last going to have a look at shopfront Cosmetic surgery using general anaesthesia. This CPSO activity resulted from GP removing six litres of fat and fluid. GP B.YAZDANFAR who calls herself a Cosmetic surgeon is waiting for the penalty. The CPSO ignored the written warning of an Ontario GP "quackbuster" Terry POLOVOY.
Ontario docs`are expecting the retirement of CPSO CEO past-ER specialist R.V.GERACE.MD(1972)
An Internist with Legal qualifications and MBA woiuld be best.
21 September 2011
18 September 2011
LONDON,UK: REFRACTION COURSE
The course is for doctors wishing to refine their refraction technique with comprehensive preparation for the Refraction Certificate Examination. Lack of confidence and a haphazard examination under time pressure are the main reasons for failure in an OSCE examination. This course specifically focuses on these aspects so that attendees have an organised routine to achieve success.What is the content of the course?
The course covers, in demonstrations and practical workshops, the following topics:
Objective refraction - non-cycloplegic and cycloplegic retinoscopy
•Subjective refraction - sphere and cylindrical element
•Near addition
•Duochrome/+1 blur test/Binocular balance
•Muscle balance - with Maddox Rod and Prism Cover Test
•Trial frame fitting and Interpupillary Distance (IPD) measurement
•Refraction of a Model Eye
•Focimetry
•Lens neutralisation
•Visual acuity and refraction estimation
•Visual acuity testing in a child
What is the format of the day?
The day is divided into the morning session during which candidates will be shown detailed step-by-step demonstrations on how to successfully perform a refraction based on the RCOphth Refraction Certificate syllabus with vital tips. A course handbook covering how to carry out each practical station, with the relevant theory will be sent to candidates 2 weeks before the course date. The afternoon session consists of practical workshops with a 2:1 ratio of candidate to examiner. Candidates will work through all 16 OSCE stations outlined in the syllabus with subjects and all the necessary equipment provided, under the guidance of the examiner. At the end of the day, a mock Refraction Certificate Examination will be conducted. Candidates will be assessed based on the RCOphth Refraction Certificate Examination mark sheets and these will be made available to candidates with feedback on each station. Where is it?
The course is held at Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith. This central London location is easily accessible by public transport or car, with free parking available around the hospital.What is the cost of the course?
The London Refraction Course costs £445 including course handbook, lunch and refreshments. Early booking is advised, as spaces are limited.How many places are available?
To ensure candidates receive the highest possible standard of tuition the number of places available is strictly limited to ten, allocated on a first come first served basis. This will allow us to provide a 2:1 ratio of candidates to examiners.
The course covers, in demonstrations and practical workshops, the following topics:
Objective refraction - non-cycloplegic and cycloplegic retinoscopy
•Subjective refraction - sphere and cylindrical element
•Near addition
•Duochrome/+1 blur test/Binocular balance
•Muscle balance - with Maddox Rod and Prism Cover Test
•Trial frame fitting and Interpupillary Distance (IPD) measurement
•Refraction of a Model Eye
•Focimetry
•Lens neutralisation
•Visual acuity and refraction estimation
•Visual acuity testing in a child
What is the format of the day?
The day is divided into the morning session during which candidates will be shown detailed step-by-step demonstrations on how to successfully perform a refraction based on the RCOphth Refraction Certificate syllabus with vital tips. A course handbook covering how to carry out each practical station, with the relevant theory will be sent to candidates 2 weeks before the course date. The afternoon session consists of practical workshops with a 2:1 ratio of candidate to examiner. Candidates will work through all 16 OSCE stations outlined in the syllabus with subjects and all the necessary equipment provided, under the guidance of the examiner. At the end of the day, a mock Refraction Certificate Examination will be conducted. Candidates will be assessed based on the RCOphth Refraction Certificate Examination mark sheets and these will be made available to candidates with feedback on each station. Where is it?
The course is held at Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith. This central London location is easily accessible by public transport or car, with free parking available around the hospital.What is the cost of the course?
The London Refraction Course costs £445 including course handbook, lunch and refreshments. Early booking is advised, as spaces are limited.How many places are available?
To ensure candidates receive the highest possible standard of tuition the number of places available is strictly limited to ten, allocated on a first come first served basis. This will allow us to provide a 2:1 ratio of candidates to examiners.
17 September 2011
UK:INDEPENDENT newspaper: ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
Our last line of defence against bacterial infections is fast becoming weakened by a growing number of deadly strains that are resistant to even the strongest antibiotics, according to new figures given to The Independent on Sunday by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
The disturbing statistics reveal an explosion in cases of super-resistant strains of bacteria such as E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, a cause of pneumonia and urinary tract infections, in less than five years.
Until 2008, there were fewer than five cases a year in the UK of bugs resistant to carbapenem, our most effective intravenous (IV) antibiotic. New statistics reveal how there have been 386 cases already this year, in what the HPA has called a "global public health concern". Doctors are particularly concerned because carbapenems are often the last hope for hospital patients suffering from pneumonia and blood infections that other antibiotics have failed to treat. Such cases were unknown in the UK before 2003.
Years of over-prescribing antibiotics, bought over the counter in some countries, and their intensive use in animals, enabling resistant bacteria to enter the food chain, are among the factors behind the global spread. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation, some 25,000 people a year die of antibiotic-resistant infections in the European Union.
In a statement issued during a WHO conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, last week, the organisation warned that doctors and scientists throughout Europe fear the "reckless use of antibiotics" risks a "return to a pre-antibiotic era where simple infections do not respond to treatment, and routine operations and interventions become life-threatening."
More than 50 countries signed up to a European action plan on antibiotic resistance, unveiled at the conference, which includes recommendations for greater surveillance of antibiotic resistance, stricter controls over the use of antibiotics, and improved infection control in hospitals and clinics.
"We know that now is the time to act. Antibiotic resistance is reaching unprecedented levels, and new antibiotics are not going to arrive quickly enough," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO Regional Director for Europe. "There are now superbugs that do not respond to any drug," she added.
Dr Alan Johnson, a clinical scientist and expert in antibiotic resistance at the HPA, warned delegates at its annual conference last week that the problem is making some infections harder and in some, cases, virtually impossible, to treat.
Speaking to the IoS, he said: "We've had a problem of antibiotic resistance for as long as we've had antibiotics. The big problem at the moment is, for certain types of bacteria, we are seeing problems of resistance emerging and we don't actually have any new antibiotics in the pipeline to deal with them."
The rise is partially due to certain epidemic strains of bacteria that are well adapted to spreading between people, with the added complication that the genes encoding resistance in bacteria can move between different types, explained Dr Johnson.
People are largely unaware of the dangers of taking antibiotics, he added. "There's been a perception among doctors and the public that antibiotics are quite harmless. What we now know is that if, as an individual, you take a course of antibiotics you will almost certainly end up being colonised by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the gut, because the bacteria mutate so rapidly. Now they may disappear and not be a problem, or they may sit there and next time you get an infection it could be due to the resistance that has persisted."
And one of the country's leading experts warned last night that Britain is very close to seeing the first cases of infections that are resistant to all antibiotics.
Professor Tim Walsh, an expert in antibiotic resistance at Cardiff University, said: "We are very close to having pan-resistant bacteria in this country. The consequence of this is that we are more or less back to the pre-antibiotic days of the 1920s, so these drugs that we've relied on for so long and taken for granted have now become obsolete because we've become complacent."
A rise in deaths will almost certainly result, claimed Professor Walsh, with people that have weakened immune systems among those at greatest risk.
Little is known about the toll on Britons, with the HPA admitting that it does not have "the mortality statistics for this resistance in the UK". It is calling on doctors to exercise caution when using antibiotics, and for hospitals to track cases of antibiotic resistance and stop the spread of the bacteria between patients.
The disturbing statistics reveal an explosion in cases of super-resistant strains of bacteria such as E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, a cause of pneumonia and urinary tract infections, in less than five years.
Until 2008, there were fewer than five cases a year in the UK of bugs resistant to carbapenem, our most effective intravenous (IV) antibiotic. New statistics reveal how there have been 386 cases already this year, in what the HPA has called a "global public health concern". Doctors are particularly concerned because carbapenems are often the last hope for hospital patients suffering from pneumonia and blood infections that other antibiotics have failed to treat. Such cases were unknown in the UK before 2003.
Years of over-prescribing antibiotics, bought over the counter in some countries, and their intensive use in animals, enabling resistant bacteria to enter the food chain, are among the factors behind the global spread. According to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation, some 25,000 people a year die of antibiotic-resistant infections in the European Union.
In a statement issued during a WHO conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, last week, the organisation warned that doctors and scientists throughout Europe fear the "reckless use of antibiotics" risks a "return to a pre-antibiotic era where simple infections do not respond to treatment, and routine operations and interventions become life-threatening."
More than 50 countries signed up to a European action plan on antibiotic resistance, unveiled at the conference, which includes recommendations for greater surveillance of antibiotic resistance, stricter controls over the use of antibiotics, and improved infection control in hospitals and clinics.
"We know that now is the time to act. Antibiotic resistance is reaching unprecedented levels, and new antibiotics are not going to arrive quickly enough," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, the WHO Regional Director for Europe. "There are now superbugs that do not respond to any drug," she added.
Dr Alan Johnson, a clinical scientist and expert in antibiotic resistance at the HPA, warned delegates at its annual conference last week that the problem is making some infections harder and in some, cases, virtually impossible, to treat.
Speaking to the IoS, he said: "We've had a problem of antibiotic resistance for as long as we've had antibiotics. The big problem at the moment is, for certain types of bacteria, we are seeing problems of resistance emerging and we don't actually have any new antibiotics in the pipeline to deal with them."
The rise is partially due to certain epidemic strains of bacteria that are well adapted to spreading between people, with the added complication that the genes encoding resistance in bacteria can move between different types, explained Dr Johnson.
People are largely unaware of the dangers of taking antibiotics, he added. "There's been a perception among doctors and the public that antibiotics are quite harmless. What we now know is that if, as an individual, you take a course of antibiotics you will almost certainly end up being colonised by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the gut, because the bacteria mutate so rapidly. Now they may disappear and not be a problem, or they may sit there and next time you get an infection it could be due to the resistance that has persisted."
And one of the country's leading experts warned last night that Britain is very close to seeing the first cases of infections that are resistant to all antibiotics.
Professor Tim Walsh, an expert in antibiotic resistance at Cardiff University, said: "We are very close to having pan-resistant bacteria in this country. The consequence of this is that we are more or less back to the pre-antibiotic days of the 1920s, so these drugs that we've relied on for so long and taken for granted have now become obsolete because we've become complacent."
A rise in deaths will almost certainly result, claimed Professor Walsh, with people that have weakened immune systems among those at greatest risk.
Little is known about the toll on Britons, with the HPA admitting that it does not have "the mortality statistics for this resistance in the UK". It is calling on doctors to exercise caution when using antibiotics, and for hospitals to track cases of antibiotic resistance and stop the spread of the bacteria between patients.
15 September 2011
COLUMBIA NY,ADRENAL CENTRE: ADRENAL INCIDENTALOMA
Adrenal Disorders: Incidentalomas
With improvements in the resolution and availability of abdominal scanning (i.e., CT, MRI, and USG), many small tumors are being found in the adrenal glands incidentally—i.e. when the scan is performed during the work-up for another reason. Up to 5% of patients undergoing an abdominal CT scan will have a small adrenal mass.
(of all Incidentalomas)
55% are nonfunctioning, benign adenomas
20% are a metastasis from another primary cancer, such as breast, lung, kidney, melanoma, or lymphoma
5% are a primary adrenal cancer
20% are a hormone producing tumor—i.e., a cortisol producing tumor, an aldosteronoma (CONN SYNDROME), or a pheochromocytoma
A tumor with a mass of 5 cm or larger has a greater likelihood of being malignant.
DiagnosisThe work up of an incidental mass discovered through abdominal imaging begins by evaluating the patient for signs and symptoms of hormone overproduction. The treatment for incidentalomas depends on 2 major factors: 1) whether or not the tumor is making excess hormone and 2) the chance of the tumor being cancer. These two factors are determined by obtaining the screening blood and urine tests previously outlined, as well as a CT or MRI scan. It is vitally important to exclude the possibility of pheochromocytoma prior to operating (on any part of the body for any indication), since surgery on unprepared patients with pheochromocytoma can be fatal.
TreatmentFunctioning adrenal tumors should be surgically removed to eliminate the source of the excess hormone production. Patients with a nonfunctioning adrenal mass that is less than 3 cm should be followed by abdominal imaging every six months. The likelihood of an adrenal tumor being a cancer is heavily dependent on the tumor size. Once a tumor has reached 5 cm, the risk of developing cancer outweighs the risks of surgical removal. Tumors that are 5 cm or greater, or that are rapidly growing should, therefore, be surgically removed. Typically the surgery can be performed laparoscopically, through several very small incisions. Tumors that are between 3 cm and 5 cm may be either removed or observed depending on the patient's overall health and preferences.
With improvements in the resolution and availability of abdominal scanning (i.e., CT, MRI, and USG), many small tumors are being found in the adrenal glands incidentally—i.e. when the scan is performed during the work-up for another reason. Up to 5% of patients undergoing an abdominal CT scan will have a small adrenal mass.
(of all Incidentalomas)
55% are nonfunctioning, benign adenomas
20% are a metastasis from another primary cancer, such as breast, lung, kidney, melanoma, or lymphoma
5% are a primary adrenal cancer
20% are a hormone producing tumor—i.e., a cortisol producing tumor, an aldosteronoma (CONN SYNDROME), or a pheochromocytoma
A tumor with a mass of 5 cm or larger has a greater likelihood of being malignant.
DiagnosisThe work up of an incidental mass discovered through abdominal imaging begins by evaluating the patient for signs and symptoms of hormone overproduction. The treatment for incidentalomas depends on 2 major factors: 1) whether or not the tumor is making excess hormone and 2) the chance of the tumor being cancer. These two factors are determined by obtaining the screening blood and urine tests previously outlined, as well as a CT or MRI scan. It is vitally important to exclude the possibility of pheochromocytoma prior to operating (on any part of the body for any indication), since surgery on unprepared patients with pheochromocytoma can be fatal.
TreatmentFunctioning adrenal tumors should be surgically removed to eliminate the source of the excess hormone production. Patients with a nonfunctioning adrenal mass that is less than 3 cm should be followed by abdominal imaging every six months. The likelihood of an adrenal tumor being a cancer is heavily dependent on the tumor size. Once a tumor has reached 5 cm, the risk of developing cancer outweighs the risks of surgical removal. Tumors that are 5 cm or greater, or that are rapidly growing should, therefore, be surgically removed. Typically the surgery can be performed laparoscopically, through several very small incisions. Tumors that are between 3 cm and 5 cm may be either removed or observed depending on the patient's overall health and preferences.
14 September 2011
UK LONDON Liveryman Worshipful Soc.Apothecaries Dr. John GAYNER
Liveryman Dr.John GAYNER MBBS (Lond. 1970) is joint Hon.Sec of The Livery Companies Golfing Society.
jg@sloanedoc.co.uk
Clinic address:
6 SLOANE SQUARE,
London SW1W 8EE
Special interest : SPORT MEDICINE.
jg@sloanedoc.co.uk
Clinic address:
6 SLOANE SQUARE,
London SW1W 8EE
Special interest : SPORT MEDICINE.
10 September 2011
VIENNA PHYSICIANS' BALL
V I E N N A M E D I C A L D O C T O R ' S B A L L
The 62nd Medical Doctor's Ball takes place at the Hofburg Vienna on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 (Organisation: Vienna Medical Chamber)
The opening will be celebrated at 09:30 pm
It would be a shame to visit Vienna without brushing up your waltz and hearing for one of the city's most famous balls. There is a wide range to choose from, but the one to go for is probably the "Wiener Ärzteball" in the stunning ballrooms of Hofburg Vienna, famous for its elaborate and splendid decorations.
The last Saturday of January belongs annually to thousands of dancing doctors. It is a fact that the Vienna Medical Doctor's Ball has earned an outstanding role amongst the many traditional ball events. Apart from regular guests from Austria, more and more visitors from abroad want to join Vienna's carnival highlight. Surely, the "Wiener Ärzteball" is soul medicine, with dances and a jolly atmosphere which lasts till the early hours.
A breath-taking atmosphere, sparkling champagne and rousing music are guaranteed on this spectacular top-class ball night.
Viennese Ball Tradition
The classic Viennese ball has a proud tradition stretching back over four centuries, and has even taken the first steps towards inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The full spectacle extends from the opening ceremony featuring a debutants' committee to midnight stage shows with dance and music performances. There is also traditional ball etiquette to consider - from the "Damenspenden", a gift presented to the ladies, to the requisite gown, tuxedo or formal traditional Austrian dress, Austrian culture runs through every aspect of the Viennese ball.
✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏
08.00 pm
Ballroom opening
Damenspende (ladies gift) till 01:00 am
09:30 pm
Fanfare
Entrance and festive opening
Young Ladies´- and Gentlemen´s Commitee
Formations Dance
Midnight Event and Show Interludes in the Festsaal and proximate in the Zeremoniensaal
12:00 am
Midnight Event
01:30 am
Show (Interlude)
03:00 am
Quadrille
05:00 am
End of the ball
✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏
Please download our Ball-Folder (PDF)
or click to our Hotel-Packages
Tickets (Runner ticket, no reserved seat)
Ladies € 100,--
Gentlemen € 100,--
Students * € 35,--
(Admission only by valid student identity card)
reserved seat
at a table starting at € 25,-- (Festsaal € 330,-- / 200,-- / 150,--; Zeremoniensaal, Wintergarten € 70,--; kleiner Redoutensaal € 50,--; Marmorsaal, Metternichsaal, Rittersaal € 35,--; Festsaal Foyer, Geheime Ratstube, Trabantenstube € 30,--; other rooms € 25,--)
* includes Food-Stamp Benefit of € 5,--
Ball gown meets tailcoat - there is a strict dress code!
The correct dress code for every ball: click here
Ladies Floor length evening dress
Gentlemen black tailcoat (with decoration), black dinner jacket / tuxedo, uniform
✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏
Information for those wishing to dance in the opening ceremony
Claudia Groenewoud
Phone +43 1 51501 1414
E-mail groenewoud@aekwien.at
✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏
Ticket Sales and further Informations
Nina Chalupsky
Phone +43 1 51501 1234
E-mail: aerzteball@aekwien.at
The 62nd Medical Doctor's Ball takes place at the Hofburg Vienna on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 (Organisation: Vienna Medical Chamber)
The opening will be celebrated at 09:30 pm
It would be a shame to visit Vienna without brushing up your waltz and hearing for one of the city's most famous balls. There is a wide range to choose from, but the one to go for is probably the "Wiener Ärzteball" in the stunning ballrooms of Hofburg Vienna, famous for its elaborate and splendid decorations.
The last Saturday of January belongs annually to thousands of dancing doctors. It is a fact that the Vienna Medical Doctor's Ball has earned an outstanding role amongst the many traditional ball events. Apart from regular guests from Austria, more and more visitors from abroad want to join Vienna's carnival highlight. Surely, the "Wiener Ärzteball" is soul medicine, with dances and a jolly atmosphere which lasts till the early hours.
A breath-taking atmosphere, sparkling champagne and rousing music are guaranteed on this spectacular top-class ball night.
Viennese Ball Tradition
The classic Viennese ball has a proud tradition stretching back over four centuries, and has even taken the first steps towards inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The full spectacle extends from the opening ceremony featuring a debutants' committee to midnight stage shows with dance and music performances. There is also traditional ball etiquette to consider - from the "Damenspenden", a gift presented to the ladies, to the requisite gown, tuxedo or formal traditional Austrian dress, Austrian culture runs through every aspect of the Viennese ball.
✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏
08.00 pm
Ballroom opening
Damenspende (ladies gift) till 01:00 am
09:30 pm
Fanfare
Entrance and festive opening
Young Ladies´- and Gentlemen´s Commitee
Formations Dance
Midnight Event and Show Interludes in the Festsaal and proximate in the Zeremoniensaal
12:00 am
Midnight Event
01:30 am
Show (Interlude)
03:00 am
Quadrille
05:00 am
End of the ball
✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏
Please download our Ball-Folder (PDF)
or click to our Hotel-Packages
Tickets (Runner ticket, no reserved seat)
Ladies € 100,--
Gentlemen € 100,--
Students * € 35,--
(Admission only by valid student identity card)
reserved seat
at a table starting at € 25,-- (Festsaal € 330,-- / 200,-- / 150,--; Zeremoniensaal, Wintergarten € 70,--; kleiner Redoutensaal € 50,--; Marmorsaal, Metternichsaal, Rittersaal € 35,--; Festsaal Foyer, Geheime Ratstube, Trabantenstube € 30,--; other rooms € 25,--)
* includes Food-Stamp Benefit of € 5,--
Ball gown meets tailcoat - there is a strict dress code!
The correct dress code for every ball: click here
Ladies Floor length evening dress
Gentlemen black tailcoat (with decoration), black dinner jacket / tuxedo, uniform
✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏
Information for those wishing to dance in the opening ceremony
Claudia Groenewoud
Phone +43 1 51501 1414
E-mail groenewoud@aekwien.at
✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏ ✏
Ticket Sales and further Informations
Nina Chalupsky
Phone +43 1 51501 1234
E-mail: aerzteball@aekwien.at
09 September 2011
UK: Danger from non-English speaking EU nurses
Nurses who can't speak English put patients in danger: Lord Winston's stark warning over NHS workers from Romania and Bulgaria
- Some nurses do not understand basic phrases including 'nil by mouth'
- Strict EU laws mean nurses coming in from European countries cannot be tested on language skills
Last updated at 11:15 AM on 9th September 2011
Nurses from Eastern Europe put NHS patients in danger because they can’t speak proper English, one of Britain’s top doctors has warned.
Lord Winston said yesterday that he was particularly worried about those from Romania and Bulgaria who had limited communication skills ‘even in their own language’.
He told the House of Lords they had been trained in a ‘completely different way’ to British nurses, and were not used to speaking to doctors or their own patients.
Language barrier: Fertility expert Lord Winston has warned that nurses who cannot speak English pose a grave danger to patients (picture posed by model)
Under strict EU laws, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) watchdog is banned from testing nurses coming in from European countries on either their language or clinical skills.
Such tests are deemed to restrict the ‘free movement of labour’ – the same rules apply to doctors.
Clear communication: Lord Winston said nurses must be able to understand their patients
As the tests are not at a national level, they are not deemed to break the rules.
Lord Winston’s views were later supported by Lord Kakkar, who is a surgeon.
He told peers the situation was ‘intolerable’.
‘It is not right for fellow practitioners to have to work with these individuals,’ he said.
‘But most of all it is not right for citizens of our country, who at times when they are unwell and becoming patients in our healthcare systems need to be absolutely certain that the practitioners to whom they are exposed are competent, meet the standards required of medical practitioners in our country and therefore can with certainty provide the quality of care that citizens in our country deserve.’
Hearing evidence at the Lords’ inquiry into free EU movement of medical workers, the peers were told that patients were being put at risk by incompetent doctors and nurses who cannot speak English or understand basic medical terms such as ‘nil by mouth’.
Lord Winston said his own experience working abroad had shown him that nurses from Eastern Europe were not used to communicating with doctors or patients.
‘That communication between the patient and the professional is of vital importance,’ he said.
‘We run the risk of losing it with this issue of nurses who can’t speak the English language.’
The number of European nurses registering to work in Britain has doubled since strict checks on their competence – including language skills – were scrapped last October. In the first five months alone, almost 1,500 new nurses arrived.
The General Medical Council said that 22,060 – around 10 per cent – of doctors licensed to work in the UK were from the European Economic Area, including 1,862 doctors who qualified in Romania and 722 with Bulgarian qualifications.
In one case, a GMC spokesman said, a foreign doctor’s husband contacted the council to register her because she could not speak English herself.
A Department of Health spokesman said: 'This government is determined to make sure that foreign healthcare professionals are not allowed to work in the NHS unless they have proven their competence and language skills.
'We have already taken steps to strengthen the current system by introducing a duty for responsible officers to check the qualifications, experience and references of all doctors, including foreign doctors.
'The nursing regulator is also working on the development of an aptitude test which will put in place a powerful control for assessing whether the clinical skills and knowledge of European Economic Area (EEA) migrants meet UK standards.
'But we want to go further, working with the GMC, to strengthen the whole system of local checks on the suitability of doctors, including their communication skills. Responsible officers will have a key role to play in this.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2035316/Lord-Winstons-stark-warning-NHS-workers-Romania-Bulgaria.html#ixzz1XSvzstcR
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