Rogue doctors

[Doc Alan]

The General Medical Council sets UK standards for undergraduate medical education. Entry to British medical schools is very competitive. There are more places for medical students now than previously but obviously not all can be admitted to UK medical schools. The numbers have to be matched to the numbers of doctors required, and as joebloggs has pointed out there is a shortage of the training posts needed for full GMC registration, due in part to the number of EU applicants.
The GMC also sets the standards for qualified doctors, and "revalidation" based on regular appraisals is to be introduced across the UK. The idea is to make sure that all doctors reach and maintain the same high level of practise. Unfortunately "rogue doctors" can never be eliminated. The frustration to the GMC and everyone who rightly expects doctors to be safe is that so far they are unable to apply the same rules to EU doctors as they do to international medical graduates (from outside the EU). To my knowledge there is no news on this since I first posted the thread.
As for the quality of filipino doctors, we've had a range of opinions posted here. I suspect, from what you have said, that the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) does not set the same high standards as our GMC.

[Pete/London]

Dear Doc
your advice would be appreciated as to whether I should let my GP know of a concern with a procedure I had a few weeks ago.I had an endoscopy by a senior English consultant under my private health insurance.I hung around from 08.30 until 15.30 to go down to theatre and he was about to sedate me when I told him I wanted to drive immediately afterwards, as I had an appointment elsewhere. I agreed to go for it without sedation and was therefore fully aware of all that was going on around me. He said it would be like sucking a boiled sweet but it felt more like swallowing a sword
Anyway, while the camera was looking at the esophagus and stomach the anaesthetist inserted another tube and took a biopsy. Job done.
I met with the consultant a week later and he gave me the result of the examination and I asked the result of the biopsy.He looked at his notes and said he didnt take one. When I reminded him he said he will have to go through his theatre notes as he could not recall asking for a biopsy, and was sure none was taken.
Another 7 days later the consultant ring me at home and was quite excited to inform me he `had` taken a biopsy and they had discovered Helicobacter Pylori and he then sent me a prescription
to treat it.
Now I really like this consultant, and I was confident in him up to this procedure. But, if I had been sedated, I would probably not have been any the wiser and the condition might have been missed. What do you advise ?

[Doc Alan]

What do you advise ?

I've sent you a private message in reply, as this is not a medical forum, but I don't think your consultant is a "rogue doctor".

[grahamw48]

Just check you still have both of your kidneys.